November 14-B, 2022

The perennial task of life
is to reconcile ourselves 
to our circumstances
in a "This is the way things are,
and this is what I can do about it,
and that's that" kind of way--
without expectations,
opinions,
judgment,
emotional reactivity,
followed by:
"Now what can I do about
being unable to do any more about it?"

The "What can I do now?"
is the crucial part of the equation.

Diversion, distraction, dejection, dismay, denial
are the usual options,
opined in a "Poor me, poor me," kind of way.

We owe ourselves more than that.
What we do with disappointment
is crucial to everything that follows.

We carry it into the emptiness,
stillness
and silence,
and sit with it
until something stirs to life,
emerges,
arises,
appears
to lead us on a train of associations
into depths and realizations
that would have never occurred to us
without taking the time 
to explore our response
to "No! Not now, not ever!"

"No!" is better than "Yes, of course!"
in that it expands/enlarges us 
in ways "Yes," never could.

And, if we aren't growing, 
we're dying.

So, take every "No!" 
as a concealed "Yes!" 
that needs to be explored,
examined, imagined, birthed,
and brought forth into being.

"If not this, then what?"
Find out!
Do not die without knowing
where every road leads,
which is, of course, 
to another road.

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