Last week, April managed to steal a perfect Friday evening from the utterly unpredictable early spring weather in the Midwest. There had been a brief sprinkling, but only in the morning, and the howling wind of the past week had decided to give it a rest. My normally dreadful back patio was inviting and calm. I decided to bring the dog and sit down to read a few pages of “Mother Mary Come to Me” by Arundhati Roy.
The coffee smelled wonderful and the gentle and rhythmic whoofing of my Labrador and Poodle mix was a welcoming sound. Added to it all were the cheerful voices of my neighbors and their friends. The group, it sounded like, was having a jolly good time! After many months I had the unexpected opportunity to catch up with myself. Just my thoughts, me, and the ambient sounds of that hour.
It was the kind of hour that lets you meander in the back alleys of your subconscious and explore at leisure what the rush of everyday life can’t. I did not stop that wanderer. I let it meet half-forgotten people, aspirations and aches. Friends, almost friends, long lost loves and relationships that could have been.
When I finished my coffee and the evening bugs drove us back in, I felt almost cleansed and clear. Connecting with ourselves can be intimidating. We don’t want to meet all those people that we could have become. But, when the setting is a mellow evening in your own backyard, that fear is a little dimmer. The frown turns into a wry smile, and we are willing to be kind to ourselves and the people around us.
For a better relationship with yourself I highly recommend Friday evening dates with self- Indiana weather permitting of course!
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