For M:
I am a traveler. I have taken a fork in a road and the road ahead of me is long, filled with bumps and holes and as I look to the horizon, it seems to go on forever. There are bandits in the shadows, waiting for me to slip and fall. There are night creatures that hoot and hiss and make me fearful of my very soul. It is dark and dreary most of the time. When the sun shines it only shines briefly and then the clouds come again. I am not sure of the way and have no knowledge of the landscape or what to expect around the next turn in the road.
For many months I have felt like a lone, weary traveler. There is no one to talk with, no one to share my adventures with, no one to laugh and cry with, only me walking from place to place, staying in old inns along my way, groping in the darkness, searching for my reason on this journey.
Every now and then I glimpse a shopkeeper or a friendly face in a window, smiling and waving hello. Some days one of them will beckon me over, offer me a drink and sit and listen as I try and tell my tale. They think they know what kind of journey I am on, but they have no idea. They are well meaning, congenial and doing what any kind stranger would do to make me comfortable along my way.
Occasionally, I have received a letter from home, reminding me of all that I have waiting on me, all who love me and even though it seems far away right now, I know I have family and friends waiting on my safe return.
A few days ago, as I stumbled into one of those old inns, weary for a rest, I saw her. I immediately recognized that she is a traveler on this same road. She is my friend from many years back. We were young together, played together, and laughed together. I remember her. She was and is beautiful and sweet, the beauty queen that doesn’t know or flaunt her talents and beauty. I was younger and looked up to her then, watched her from afar as she navigated her life, and now once again we meet in this most unlikely of places.
We walk together now, she and I. Our paths are different but run along beside each other. We are able to watch out for one another, to help navigate the bumps and holes and fight off the bandits that seek to thwart our way. When we are scared or sad or frightened of the next turn in the road, there is someone there to talk to, reason with and one who truly understands.
After particularly hard days, we sit and talk and try to figure out the next steps to take. Neither of us are seasoned travelers, we cannot imagine we would even be walking down this road at all.
Today my friend will set out and have an adventure that I experienced many miles back. I am happy for her and sad for her. The obstacles she will encounter I have navigated before, I know the fun and joy she will experience and I also know the risk, the pain, the potential for harm that await her every step. I am confident of her ability to handle it all, but I hurt for her just the same.
I cling to the hope that one day she and I will walk down this road, and find we have reached the end. We will take a turn and see that we are home again, that we have managed to survive the bumps and holes and bandits that threatened to jump out of the bushes and steal us away.
I am thinking of my fellow traveler this morning…I am awaiting her return tonight. I am praying she is protected. Most of all, I hope she knows, that for me, this journey has been made so much easier with her as a traveling companion.
Living Happily In The Moment!
Beverly
No comments:
Post a Comment