Present vs. Future

“Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I - I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
~Robert Frost

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The road less traveled...daring to choose the path meant only for one's self to travel. What will not be done unless I do it? That is the call to our individual journeys...It is as if we are given pieces to an obscure puzzle that only we can put together. Often the pieces do not make sense as we continue putting one foot before the other (or rolling along in a wheelchair), entertaining an ever ready curiosity about what our destiny is to be. Perhaps, as the mystery unfolds, while in waiting, we are simply to be as we are, wherever we are along the way. At every given moment, we are exactly where we are supposed to be. Easy to say, but more difficult to do! I can't help but wonder about what I am to do tomorrow.

Memory vs. Change

“Journeys bring power and love back into you. If you can’t go somewhere, move in the passageways of the self. They are like shafts of light, always changing, and you change when you explore them.” ~Rumi

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Today feels surreal. Awakened from a complex nightmare exhausted and tearful. The feeling has lasted all day. Wrote a summary of the content to look at later. Right now, it feels as rainy inside as it is outside. So strange that, even after four years, I still dream of myself as walking and I can still feel the movement of my legs and feet as though they work. Guess this is the mixed blessing of an incomplete spinal cord injury. Enough feeling left to remember, but not enough muscle and nerve power to simply walk. Today is today. Storms come and storms pass. Life goes on...

Light vs. Illumination

"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." ~Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

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"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine..."

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Aware that the light is there. People I encounter tell me so even though the light is invisible to me. Perhaps that is how illumination works, through the reflection of others about the effect the projecting beam has on their particular moment. My failure is an inability to accept the message, embrace my effect on others and make a deposit in my self esteem or confidence bank account, or just feel the warm intention of the other person's observation. Learning opportunity. Affirmation.

Did I just say "confidence and self-esteem"? "Intention"? Hmmm.. maybe another baby step in trauma recovery. ;)

Doorstep vs. Virtual Delivery

"Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night." ~Rainer Maria Rilke

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Happy May Day! I remember celebrating this day as a child by making May Day baskets, hanging them on a neighbor's door handle, knocking on the door, and dashing away before the knock was answered, while we hid behind the bushes watching the smiles of surprise when the basket was found. More simple times. Creating joy and sharing it with others. Today, I sent May Day baskets on Facebook. Go figure! I can only imagine the smiles! It was really more fun actually seeing the real thing when I was able to do so as a child..

Children have such a way of seizing the moment. Lesson to be learned. This gift of being in the present moment is timeless but seemingly forgotten as life becomes busier and more complicated. Spend a few minutes watching how children do this, then figure out how to do it yourself in your own life. Carpe' diem!!!