Only and always going forward would soon land me in the garage (and that has never been a destination). But I needed to use my mirrors. To focus on what was behind. To navigate while looking in the opposite direction. AND THEN, I could stop and start again. Doing something – going somewhere new.
Somehow this comforted me all day long. What’s behind me, allows me to go forward.
The truth is I can’t drive too well or too long (not even mentioning the legalities) in reverse. Cars, necks and nerves aren’t meant to travel backwards. There are many more gears for forward movement.
But for those of us driveway-living travelers, it might gift us to remember that backing up serves as a starting place (a blessing, perhaps) as we begin our “typical days” backing out of the driveway.
Risk thought: Choose to claim the balance of what is behind and before you, as you begin your day
Lesley Brogan is tethered to her village. The middle daughter of a middle daughter, she and her partner co-parent two boys (11 and 8) with their two dads. Life rarely seems easy, but in it, there is energy and wisdom -- and, it seems -- just enough humor to get the village through their days.
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Gorgeous, Lesley – thank you so much.
This is SO perfect for where I am this very day. I even read it twice.
This is a message that will fold into my suitcase in a few weeks for a trip to visit my family at Thanksgiving — where I really see, acutely, the dance of reverse & forward.
Thank you, Lesley, for your wise words.
My favorite thing about life is spotting the blessing in the mundane; finding the lesson behind the symbolic. You have done this so purely here! And it’s soooooo important/challenging/constant to strike that balance between what is ahead and what is behind, that space between having peace with our past and faith in the future. When we do, we can be present in THE MOMENT. You have served up some wisdom!
amen, sister…..
well said indeed!