Every time I have one of those infrequent opportunities to spend concentrated leisure time with one of my Important People, I am very conscious of the rarity both of the moment, and of the feeling of peace that accompanies the occasion. It is not at all often that my brain, so constantly full of Work and Volunteer Commitments and Ordinary Obligations, is able to relax and unwind enough to feel unhurried and at peace. I am so grateful to have had one such opportunity this past weekend, and it was Lovely.
Now, as I sit in limbo in an airport in the pre-dawn hours, I am trying to adjust to the inevitability of re-entering the hustle and bustle of my Ordinary Life, while simultaneously holding on to the Intangible Joy of the time of the past weekend. I am trying, too, not to let Grief creep in - although I know that is inevitable. As Kahlil Gibran reminds us in The Prophet, Joy and Sorrow are inseparable:
Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
They are, in fact, opposite sides of the same coin:
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
The hardest part, is knowing that Sorrow is necessary, in order to have Joy.
You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart always will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place. ― Miriam Adeney
*
No comments:
Post a Comment