DECEMBER 2
There is a gravitational pull, an endless current which we
do not recognize which draws us beyond all things and
people, but at the same time more deeply and freely into
them.
—EDWARD J. FARRELLOne of the ambiguous gifts of our suffering (and they are
ambiguous: they are gifts, and we would never have chosen
them) is that it enlarges our perspective. Petty complaints
we had seem unimportant. People with whom we thought
we had nothing in common become special friends. Voca-
tional prowess drops down on the list of our life’s priorities;
relationships are what matter.
At the same time that we feel more profoundly and
gratefully connected to friends and family, we have a sense
that all of us dwell in mystery, that we are connected to earth
and sky, to the rhythms of the universe, to the whole range
of living things in ways we do not understand.
Maybe I can relinquish my “white knuckle” grip on life, and trust
that all will be well.