[I’ve been out of sorts – I’ve stretched myself too thin]
Earlier this week, an older gentleman stopped into my office. After their meeting while waiting for his colleague to follow him out, he and I began a simple conversation to pass the time. He spoke of his wife of 30 years and his daughter who lives in Seattle. Both of his girls enjoy gardening; tomatoes, which he doesn’t much care for, but for them, acts as if he does.
I made a comment regarding advice I’d been given, “gardening is cheaper than therapy.” The latter part of that quote would be, “and you get tomatoes.” He boomed with laughter – the kind that touches your soul and splashes around in the river that flows through your body.
Upon gathering himself he said, “Therapy! That’s understandable. My girls sure need it sometimes, but boy, even when they're crazy, what fun they are to be around."
With each description his face would light up. The way he spoke and his verbal illustrations were hitting me with such strong essence. Continuing his stories about Seattle, and the struggle it was to move his daughter to the opposite side of the country.. How he and his wife recently relocated from North Florida.. His time in Virginia. We spoke for nearly 20 minutes, without my noticing how quickly the time had passed.
Earlier this week, an older gentleman stopped into my office. After their meeting while waiting for his colleague to follow him out, he and I began a simple conversation to pass the time. He spoke of his wife of 30 years and his daughter who lives in Seattle. Both of his girls enjoy gardening; tomatoes, which he doesn’t much care for, but for them, acts as if he does.
I made a comment regarding advice I’d been given, “gardening is cheaper than therapy.” The latter part of that quote would be, “and you get tomatoes.” He boomed with laughter – the kind that touches your soul and splashes around in the river that flows through your body.
Upon gathering himself he said, “Therapy! That’s understandable. My girls sure need it sometimes, but boy, even when they're crazy, what fun they are to be around."
With each description his face would light up. The way he spoke and his verbal illustrations were hitting me with such strong essence. Continuing his stories about Seattle, and the struggle it was to move his daughter to the opposite side of the country.. How he and his wife recently relocated from North Florida.. His time in Virginia. We spoke for nearly 20 minutes, without my noticing how quickly the time had passed.
See, it’s his character and people like him that help contribute
to the beauty in the world. The people who love deeply, feel freely, and speak
meaningfully. It was easy to melt into his presence, because he felt
comfortable; balanced. He was like a freshly laundered cozy blanket, a hot cup
of tea, and a good movie on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Not one moment speaking
with him felt forced or uncomfortable. And he was just an ordinary man on an
ordinary day.
I crave the company of people who, like him, feel deeply –
those who are ambitious, creative, truthful, kind, passionate, and just enough crazy
to make things exciting. I like to feel challenged and awakened. Lately, I’ve stretched
myself so thin – with parenting, inconsistent work schedule, mom hormones (emotional roller coaster,
ya’ll), and just plain every day stress – that it’s almost consumed me. All I’ve
wanted to do is to take off into the middle of nowhere and detox; once again,
find my center.
That river I referred to earlier, has been roaring inside of
me, fighting through the tides, desperately seeking an outlet for calmer
waters. Too much time has passed without tending to my own course. I’ve worn
too many hats, ultimately forgetting what I truly look like without one on.
Life presents us with multiple paths –Sometimes you lose your way, but knowing
that if you choose one for yourself; not letting others choose for you, you’ll
always find your way back on track. And with more knowledge than when you
started. Keep an eye out for road signs that read, “Ambition, Creativity, Kindness, Trust,
Passion, Crazy, and Love.” That way, you’ll know you’re going in the right
direction.
Comments
Post a Comment