It has been four months now since we moved to the opposite side of the world from practically everyone we know. Saying goodbye and not knowing when or if we will ever see the people we care about again was painful and is something we continue to struggle with. But don’t all of us do this every day without even thinking about it?
The only thing predictable about life is that it is unpredictable. When we say goodbye to a loved one there is never a guarantee that we will see them again. When we pass a stranger on the street, we don’t know if it might be the last human interaction either one of us will have. To be mindful of this is to know that each instance of contact matters.
Who will you say goodbye to today? Who will enter into your life as you go about your routines? Can you be just a little bit kinder? Can we all treat each other as if it might be the last interaction we have?
I don’t know where to go from here and I think what I should do is to just stop being so concerned about it anyway. I’ve spent my life worrying too much about what’s next instead of appreciating what is. I’ve been constantly on the run from the slight discomfort of not feeling like I fit in enough, or that I don’t know enough to proceed, or because I think something is too difficult.
I walk down the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama and I see black boys and white boys playing football together.