27 DECEMBER 2022 THE IN-BETWEEN PLACES

Human society has created this thing we call time. We know of course, that time does not actually exist. Nonetheless, we base our lives around the minutes, hours, days, months, and years. We create stress for ourselves whenever we are “late” and we pride ourselves on our “punctuality.” What we actually experience is nothing more than a stream of events between birth and death; and in between these two major events are numerous other events. There is a pause between each event, if we take the time to notice.

This week feels like one of those in-between pauses, between holiday festivities and the beginning of a “new year.” Winter storm Elliott wreaked havoc on many lives last week, leaving some immersed in chaos. My laundry room flooded and now I sit amidst messy surroundings until the pipe can be repaired. Afterwards, I will attempt to re-create order in my life. I am not alone in this. Neither am I new to the natural rhythms of life. One learns over “time” to take the bad with the good. We learn to navigate the varied twists and turns of the events in our lives. The never ending cycle of events, and the pauses in between them, is Nature’s way. There is chaos and then order is reestablished. Then there is chaos again.

Some of the events in our lives are more catastrophic than the everyday events. There are times in our lives when we experience the death of a loved one, or a divorce that leaves us shattered. We may feel as though we have fallen into a deep fissure, or we are held underwater where we are aware of other people living their lives as usual, but the sounds they make are far away. We may feel as though we are trapped in a silent movie or caught in a spider’s silk, unable to move. We can feel invisible, yet naked. These are times of transition where we become like a spring bulb buried deep in the frozen soil. Our broken hearts remain unseen until they have healed sufficiently, until we can poke our head, once again, above the surface.

Over the course of the events in our lives we learn to take advantage of the in-between places. They can become like a power-nap, giving us the strength to brace for the next event. They are a respite, a gift Nature has given us to help us face each new day, regardless how dismal it may appear.