Wednesday, September 26, 2012

A Different Life for Both of Us

Hello. Thing One here. Nowhere is still here, and the school of life continues. Thing Two is in high school now and gone to live in the capital to be with the rest of the family: sisters, nephews, niece and brothers-in-law. It is good for her. It is good for me. But it is also an emptiness that nothing but her presence can fill.

Since the end of July I've been tenting at the shore. Not every night, but enough nights to realize the tremendous restfulness of being on the ground near the water. To see the light move and the stars shift. To hear the heartbeat of the water in all its tempos.

Last night I woke for a moment and looked out. The window in the door of the tent lets me see a small patch of sky without moving. The big dipper was in that patch, to my right of the north star. And finally for the first time, I visualized momentarily how that movement works, how the north star is the centre point for the time teller of the big dipper, that the front edge of the dipper is the hand of the clock coming out from that star, and all the rest of the dipper just follows along.

Ah. So many nights looking. So much to learn at such a slow pace.