The Things I Carry

It’s amazing what we carry from our pasts into the future.

We learn so much in our youth and carry those things into our lives with us.

The new experiences we have, send us off with new things to carry.

At a young age, I learned to sew and crochet.

In the entirety of my life, I’ve almost never been without access to a sewing machine.

Knitting is not my forte, but I can crochet a mean baby blanket.

I’ve carried these things with me almost all my life.

I carry my love for nature and outdoor working meditations.

I carry my love for babies, old people, and trees.

I carry my delight in a good metaphor.

I carry the knowledge of who I am and what I value.

I carry the love–of and for–my family, always.

I carry with me a piece of the heart of every human being and every pet I’ve ever loved.

I also carry my fear of thunderstorms and tornadoes.

My distaste for narrow-minded people.

My distrust for politicians.

My penchant for bad language.

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From my college days, I carry both the peace and trepidation of being alone in the forests of the Adirondacks.

I carry the power found in the moment of conquering a mountain named Giant.

I carry the exhilaration of being bathed in the northern lights on more than one occasion.

I carry the calm of a canoe, a lake, and a foggy morning.

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From my Navy days, I carry the honor of serving my country and my pride in being the first female Engineman at my duty station.

And the thrill of living in Hawaii.

Along with my husband, (above), I carry the living memory of the day we got married forty-three years ago today.

The sound of the waterfall we were married next to.

The smell of the flowers.

The beauty of the island.

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I carry with me a thousand different truths, each a paradox of its own.

Like the fact that I am special and unique. I’m one of a kind.

And that every person is special, unique, and one of a kind.

We are all the same, and different.

A paradox, for sure.

The only constant in life is change.

Failure leads to success.

These contradictions make up the foundation of life, and they are along for the ride too.

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Over the years, I have carried every book I’ve ever read, every song I’ve ever sung, every sunrise and every sunset I have ever experienced, every sweet dream I’ve ever dreamed, and every hope and longing I’ve ever had.

But of all the things I have carried throughout my life, my favorite by far is the love, laughter, and relationship that I’ve shared with my family and friends.