Life Flows On

We Rise, We Fall and We Rise Again

Life wants to happen. Despite the sometimes devastating news of the world, life flows on. The sun returns each morning. The birds arrive, hungry for seeds. Snow falls and then the clouds part and the sky shines over us again like a dome of light.

And even when we come to a full stop, life continues. Even when we aren't so sure, life pulls us on to the next step, the next breath, the next opportunity to shine. We can stop playing our instruments, it seems, but still the music plays on.

There is such deep comfort in this knowing, in this faithfulness of never-ending flow of life. Even on our worst days, the instruction is simply to keep moving forward - one task, one cup of tea, one act of service, one more afternoon. Or, as my friend Jenny taught me to chant in times of trouble: Left foot, right foot, breathe.

Step by step and breath by breath, we are carried along. We are not alone, the world whispers to us with each breath. Life is fleeting and sharp and sweet, and some days, so difficult to manage. Still, we soften, exhale and trust the world’s greater flow. We unclench our fists and relinquish our small minds and let ourselves be held.

A hand reaches out. We grab hold. We are hauled out of the darkness and into the lifeboat of love and connection. We remember that everything is going to be okay. And then, in some gift of grace, strength creeps back in, like sunlight slipping between the curtains at dawn. It can't be helped and it can't be stopped. Light shines. Love holds. We rise. Life flows on.