A desirable day

"I'd rather get lost with you instead..."

Looking back on yesterday, I can honestly say it was one of those ordinary miracles of a day that we soooo often take for granted.  As with all good days, it seems, the day began with some resistance.  Evan woke me up at 6:40 after a high blood sugar and all I wanted to do was go back to bed- I didn't.
Evan teaches me a lot about friendship and agape phileo.  That is to say, I love him like a brother, but he can also make my blood boil, over the top of the pot, over again.  That's how I know I care about him.
The rest of the day was brilliant.  Masterful. Astounding.
To revisit, in the caverns of my mind, the sights and sounds of the kids playing at the after school program, as the clouds danced above, in and out of darkness, the kickball game receiving a ten minute rain delay and the kindergartner's dancing in raindrops.
The efforts of a long run in the country, greeting passers by, smiling, moving, breathing, straining; the hills seem bigger today and the animals closer (baby bear!).
Finding yourself in a field with your best friend, musing over life and love, letting the trinity of three gorgeous mountains sweep you away before you attempt to take one another down, in the spirit of all things playful and joyous.
The lowering sun and the elegance of young married couples and their lovely children frolicking on the hillside at the party for their beloved sunshine.  Summer skirts, ukulele's, wild flowers and cakes of carrots.  All the while quiet conversation and a promise of tomorrow to guide us to a sigh of relief for a job well done and the blessings of the chance to do it again in the morn.
Happy birthday Sunshine!!!
At the outset of the day, Evan, upon being asked if he was feeling better, simply said, "yeah i think this is the best day of my life".  Them's serious words.  Best implies greater then all others.  Best is a big word.  Like tallest or longest, flashiest or most hilarious, like perfection, like Jesus.  Although I don't think Ev meant to say this day was better then all others, as if perfect, it got me thinkin about perfection.  As the above adventures of the day would imply, it was a beautifully dynamic and intricately connected day.  Yet as the sun set and the mind wandered, I began to see through to the imperfection of it, counted the few elements or even the sole element I was missing, Hoped for those who had not had such a day, and desired Love even more.
That is to say, Love made perfect (1John 4:18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love).
Sitting back with a cup of (decaf) coffee last even in, recounting the day, thanking the heavens for a once "quiet" evening, I was greatly humbled, not troubled, by whatever it is I had missed during this "best day".  And although I know pretty well what I missed and what I desired, it was humbling, even warming (like a warm drink on a winter day!) to know that it can and will be better; and different, in the future, tomorrow.
(Nothing happens the same twice- Narnia)  There is still a great deal to be offered to those who wander this earth.  A great romance beyond the mountains.  There is still a desire to be met, still a journey to travel; but life IS NOT a checklist, we cannot go about checking boxes of different hopes and goals. Nor is it even close to perfect.  Yet each experience has the capacity to draw us closer to our heart-of-hearts, to our innermost being, to who we are created to BE; each experience and even moment has the opportunity to change us or our friends, to make straight this path were on, to leave a mark on our community; to change the very world we live in.  Truly, each moment can do this.  Until all moments speak perfection and float as eagles, we have each other and we have today.

May your day be humbly hopeful, and happily imperfect; with all you have...

listen:
 Mat Kearney- All i Have

photo: www.whitemountainart.com/images/fhs132.jpg

The Length of Time over which recollection Extends

Memorial Day is important.  Memories are important.  Memories are celebrations of Life.

It has been a very quiet memorial day in New London today, and I find that sad.  Not to say that the day and the particular people remembered on this day (especially armed forces and recently lost loved ones) has been forgotten, but the outward celebration of life has not been proclaimed.  That I can tell.  Then again, maybe we all o this in many ways.  I chose to think and pray for those close to my friends and myself, we have lost over the past few years and days, and I chose to make these thoughts action by writing some people I was close to on my left forearm as I ran in a local 5K race in remembrance and memorium.

It is important to remember, for so many reasons.  The title I chose for this post is one of the many dictionary definitions for "memories".  The length of time over which recollection extends.  As many of you know, one of the struggles related to my brain injury is trouble recollecting short term memories (anatomy was really difficult five months post accident!)  So, according to this definition, their is a limited time which recollection extends.  This is of course true, and maybe even more true for somebody like me who has trouble recollecting in general.  It is also true because people with brain injuries and short term memory deficits are often depressed and frustrated with life due to these struggles.  That tells you how important memories are.

Memories are extremely relevant too.  Where we have been and what we hold onto can tell us a lot about who we are right now.  It can also tell us where we would like to and not like to go in the future. Memories are like a cities on the map of your story, your life.  They are filled with everything life has to offer, all the ups and downs, all the love and pain, all the trial and tribulations- all the ebb and flow.  So they are not only important and purposeful, but they are monumental in leading us towards the life we would like to live, the destiny Love would have us grasp.

But I would say they are even more.
Memories are the recollection of all five senses combining to make a movie from the past, of a person, of an experience.  They are not just a filling of time and space, but a lived opportunity at making this world better, or somehow OK.  So on memorial day, we can think of the people who made these experiences come to life.  After all, this life is about relationship.  Good or bad, missing, crying, and rejoicing, people make us move, and love leads us to continue, on and on, with memories being the wake in the sea of time.

To all those I have lost, to all whose memory I hold still, joyfully or begrudgingly,
Thank You    
For you have made my life beautiful and filled me to overflowing.  And YOU continue to do this, in spirit and in truth, ALWAYS.

On this memorial day, know that YOU are much more then a "recollection", so much more, but rather our lives are an extension of God (in HIS image), that spans all time, and always rejoices at the memories we hold close.  Memories are celebrations of Life.