Straddling

There is a place in you that is not touched by coming and going, by up or down, by for or against, by totally right or totally wrong.

These words of Richard Rohr were a balm to my soul earlier this week.  After returning from our annual August visit to Maine I was out-of-sorts.  Happy to be back home in Maryland, yes, but also bereft at leaving a place I love very much. Instead of fighting it and telling myself to just move on, or succumbing to sadness, I decided to try holding both sets of feelings.

For that is really the way of life, right?  We see both sides, we're nice to our neighbor who supports Trump, we walk a pathway between trust and fear.  It has taken me a long time to realize that our world is not either/or, right/wrong, yes/no.

Simply put, I can still love Maine...the feel of the air, the late summer shadows foretelling fall, the deep concern for earth's health, the sense of being a step closer to heaven.  I can miss my dear friends and, still, the presence of Spirit as I walk into St. Saviour's Church and place my fingers on the organ keys.

All of this is possible while making our new life in Maryland.  It's a very good one, with meaningful work, new friends, a house that feels like home, and our dear family.  The ability to hold both of these deep emotions is a sort of freedom, a straddling if you like, keeping each foot on a separate side.  It's like saying Yes, I can have it both ways.