Good Grief

Good grief, has it really been 2-1/2 months since I've posted anything? Time has flown by and life has offered more than the usual dose of unexpected twists and bumps. Of course on the trail, twists and bumps are fun, but in life....well, sometimes you can find ways to find fun in them as well. At the very least, there are opportunities.

Speaking of which, there is a lot looming on the near horizon; a birthday, the holidays, some traveling, and some substantial challenges. And as is usual for this time of year, there's a lot of reflection and introspection too. I'm a bit prone to seasonal blues, but with so many changes and such turmoil over the past 18 months, I am particularly on guard against it this year. Two seasons ago, doors were closing. Last year offered possibilities tinged with pain. This will be the first year of a "new normal" during the holidays.

Good grief. An expression of mild exasperation, true, but applied literally it could summarize a lot of my recent past, of the recent past for people close to me, and for life in general. We crave love and closeness, though it often leads to hurt. But in the pain is growth, in the growth is life, and in life is the seed of love.
or is that the other way around? There are so many things that I question these days, but they feel like worthy questions. And sometimes the grief really is good.