Last Saturday on our "conquering journey" of 9 Colorado passes, we went from warm, full sun, to bitter whipping cold. Having the right gear, the right clothing was important as we made our wonderful "mad dash" across the Continental Divide four times...it was a very good day.
My heart and mind do go to those in our cities who are facing the cold of winter without the right gear and clothing. How do they do it?
Too often they are huddled under makeshift tarps they've found...and throw away clothes gets layered on. We ran from the warmth of a car to a lookout point and back again...cold for a moment...but then back to being thankful for the threads woven together in fabric to keep us warm.
Threads.
Easy to take for granted, until a thread begins to unravel or wear out. Then, as the olde saying goes, we go to buy some "new threads." How welcome. How convenient.
Threads are important in a whole lot of ways and places.
Threads are not just made of fabric, however. There are a variety of threads that have been weaving through both your life and mine...holding our own moments together.
I'm reminded of a poem by William Stafford (...a favorite poet...) simply titled, "The Way It Is." When I first read this poem in July of 2011 I thought of a favored "distance mentor," Richard Rohr, who, in his significant, life-giving teaching and writing will often say, "It is what it is...now what are we going to do with what is?"
So.......wherever you find yourself on the planet I hope you will be thankful for the multitude of threads that make up your own life (74+113):
The Way It Is...
There's a thread that you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn't change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can't get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time's unfolding.
You don't ever let go of the thread.
...William Stafford
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