A Hopeful Beginning

The meeting had been planned for weeks, but that didn’t mean she was ready. This was not a surprise; she was never ready for events dictated by a calendar. It was like she tried to live in an elastic world, where time flexed and was not contained in the rigid blocks of weeks and months. This actually worked to some degree; she had been known to send Christmas Cards out at St. Patrick’s Day, squirrel away fireworks from July to brighten a cold night in October, create a Thanksgiving Thankful List in February, and keep friends on their toes with erratically scheduled birthday whistle serenades. This year, she assumed that once again the welcoming party was more or less optional, and she could catch up with the newcomer at the Chinese festivities where there would be dragon kites and lantern parades.

On the Eve just before midnight, she found herself in bed with an unsocial cold; in bed, but not asleep. Her thoughts began leading her down a path. At first, she saw a path strewn with bushes of good-byes. Good-bye to a sister bound for Germany - Good-bye to a relationship that had once seemed promising - Good-bye to friends whose lives had excitingly diverged - Good-bye to a cooking career (this bush was more like a small weed as a cooking career had never really been hopeful). However, as she looked closer, the good-bye bushes were not seeping sadness as they are known to do, but rather were catapulting possibilities. Sprouting up visits and opportunities to live in new environments - Zinging a longing to find love and companionship in the only One who can truly provide these things – Shooting out tendrils of new friendships and deepening the existing ones - Blooming of other hobbies to be practiced and shared. And when she woke on Friday morning (that is late morning), she was delighted the meeting had not been missed and excited to begin her acquaintance with this New Year called 2010.