Maybe it’s the writer in me, but I get a lot of joy out of observing life all around me. I wonder about other people’s stories, why they might act a certain way or choose a particular path in life. I people watch and ponder what their hopes and dreams may be. Happy, sad, indifferent, remarkable. How would they describe their life? How close are they to being who they really want to be? What’s stopping them from doing that thing they want to do?
In the past several months, I have been keenly aware of the people who have come in and out of my life. Strangers, close friends, virtual friends, neighbors, family, former co-workers, people from the past, my sons’ friends’ parents, colleagues, even cab drivers. I think about the role they’ve had. Why they came into my life when they did. Why they returned (or left) when they did.
The relationships and connections we have are remarkable. Have you ever stopped to think about the purpose of those people that are around you at the most difficult times of your life? They are there for a reason. But you have to be open-minded and vulnerable enough to notice and understand.
The people that have been in my life over the past seven months and experiences with them have been eye-opening, though I’m only now realizing how each has helped me through. I’m still working through it all.
I think of the couple that stopped to talk to me as I gardened in front of my old house. I was there for some dirt therapy after a terrible incident that left me reeling. They told me that they admired what I did with my gardens over the years and asked why I was leaving the neighborhood. When I told them the reason, I had one of the most heartfelt conversations I have had in my life. I don’t even know their names.
At times, I’ve felt like I’m observing my own storyline. Oh, how it has shifted and swayed since February. A sudden plot twist, followed by a flood of emotions from anger and sadness to relief and happiness, shuffling to regroup, sell a house, divorce, move, and start over. At the same time, I accomplished a major step towards a life-long goal and went on a life-changing trip.
I wonder if people look at me and ponder my story.
If you have been by my side in these past few months, virtually or in person, you are major part of the storyline of my life. The connections and experiences, whether fleeting or lasting, have been weaved together to reveal a story to me that may have been there all along, but I’m only now getting to see. I guess a series of life-changing events in a short amount of time will do that to you. It’s pretty amazing.

Have you ever stopped to observe your own storyline? 

This post was also published on The Sisters’ Hood