There are days when I wake up and realize that everything around me is quiet. As I open the windows I am struck by the lack of sound. It is as if I am in a snapshot, preserved in a way that I can live in it, yet frozen, lacking any movement or engagement. In those moments, memories come alive. My imagination is filled with people I love and those that have touched my life.
The dream rarely lasts long. While it seems like hours, in reality it is rarely longer than a few minutes. The silence is always broken by the sounds of a city awakening for a new day; a bus stopping for passengers, a train coming into the station nearby, or someone enjoying the straight stretch of road in front of the apartment building.
As my mind turns to the moment at hand and I focus on the day ahead, I recognize a recurring sense of loss. Part of me falls into a trap of complaining; “Old friends avoid me like the plague. My cousins never visit, my neighbors stab me in the back.” (Psalm 38.11) Even as I start falling into the trap, I realize that I am one of the fortunate one. I can see and grasp opportunities that are all around me. I can make a difference. I can be an individual giving life to the ideals of compassion, acceptance, and community.
I am coming to appreciate the value that comes with remembering. I have seen God at work in my life as well as those around me. God was and is engaged. I have experienced the wonder and joy that comes in receiving underserved gifts. The most precious gifts in life are never earned. I have witness the power of Hope when it touches the hopeless.
I look forward to reconnecting, especially to the opportunity to let others know how they important they are to me. I also look forward to using the hope they gave and the freedom I have to create more memories by making a difference.
