“Nothing is absolute. Everything changes, everything moves, everything revolves, everything flies and goes away.” -Frida Kahlo
Life is in a constant state of transition.
Ice melts to make way for spring blooms.
The sun rises and sets.
Rain falls and evaporates back into the atmosphere.
We laugh and we cry.
We inhale and we exhale.
We love and we lose.
I quit my job. I sold my condo. I donated most of my belongings. Next month, I will step onto an airplane that will take me halfway around the world to a place filled with colors, contamination, chaos, and a vibrant culture. I anticipate this new adventure with mixed feelings. I think about the wonderful experiences that will shift my perception of the world and teach me to appreciate the human experience in a new way. I also think about the challenges, which I know will be many, and about all of the things I will miss about the current phase of my life – family, friends, bike trails, autumn leaves, avocados, lakes and loons, my nephews (especially my nephews). Right now, I sit in the space of transition, trying not to look back with regret or forward with expectation. Trying, rather, to be present in every moment, appreciating where I am right now.
I have been thinking a lot about the phases of the moon. Not necessarily in terms of astrological signs or zodiacs – I don’t know enough about any of that to think too deeply about it – but rather I’ve been contemplating the moon’s natural cycle as it makes its monthly journey around the Earth. As the proportion of light and shadow shifts in response to the moon’s relation to the sun, it is continuously transitioning towards or away from full, when it is brightest and perceivably most complete. However, the moon is always complete, always whole, regardless of how much of it is consumed by shadow. And each month, the full moon will always reveal itself in its full splendor.
There are times in life when we feel full, bright, inspired, and there are times when we feel consumed by fear and doubt. In times where the shadow seems to overwhelm the light, however, we are no less complete. As I continue to move though life’s transitions, I can be confident that regardless of the phase I find myself in at any given moment, the stages of light and shadow are changing and impermanent. Regardless of how much joy or fear I feel on any given day, I can find comfort knowing that behind the shadow, I am always whole.
julirae 