Heavy and Light

The Heavy -- contemplating, once more, the realities of adulthood:

That when one is angry, or frustrated, or heartbroken, one must compose oneself alone, lest one make another uncomfortable with a naked display of emotion;
That one must dry one's own tears, and put on a brave face, for tears are not to be revealed lest their presence embarrass or anger another;
That one must take care of oneself, and not hope for another to attend to or anticipate one's needs or wants, for people live in their own worlds and cannot always see the intersecting worlds of others; 
That giving away pieces of oneself is never a guarantee that one will receive equal -- or any -- pieces in return; and
That despite all this, one must love others anyway, for life is short, and loving makes it sweet.  

The Light -- immersing oneself in the moment:

That the Caverns smell of earth and stone and water and bats;
That the quiet erases the accumulation of daily noise that has taken up residence in one's brain; 
That the dark alleviates the oppressiveness of the desert sun; 
That the handrails are cool and moist and metallic, smooth and comforting to the hands;
That the weight of the backpack presses against the small of one's back, relieving the pain that tends to reside there;
That there is pleasant walking, down and up and around; and
That for a little while, one can forget the realities, and focus on the miracle of the caverns and the beauty of the moment. 

And just be. 

Photograph copyright 2014, GAM. Used with gratitude.