Wednesday 6 April 2011: ...beauty in emptiness...

Several years had passed...

The young child had grown into a wise, contemplative young man...

The kindly old woman (who all along his life shared with him her experience, her knowledge & her love), had begun to fade...she could see her own horizon in the distance...the sun setting for her, glowing, golden & beautiful....

She could no longer speak or hold her frail body up...the ravages of time & illness ran freely through her body, but her mind...her mind was still sharp...it remained perfectly clear for her as she silently basked in the blessings of seeing her young charge evolve...growing in intelligence, consideration, heart & a thirst for answers...

He would care for her each day, always smiling & speaking to her, even though she was unable to give him any sign in return that she understood him & was so proud...

He knew, however...(he always knew)...because when he spoke to her, he could see the same light in her eyes that he had known for so many years...he knew & he was grateful...he humbly thanked her for every day they had been able to spend together...(he humbly thanked her for everything she had generously given him of the meager possessions she owned);

The greatest gift she gave him, though, was to pass on to him all she knew of the world (both seen & unseen) before she could no longer communicate anymore...

The day then came, when he rose out of troubled sleep after a difficult night of caring for her; his dreams were erratic & broken...in them, he saw the kindly old woman through the stages of her life: a carefree, innocent child...a tender, wholesome young girl...a creative, tolerant woman...up to the very end of it, when he could only see a shrouded vision of her lying on a bed of fine linens & silks...her eyes closed...her hands gently crossed upon her waist...peaceful...serene...smiling;

This final vision of her was enough to shake him from the hazy depths of sleep in a cold sweat...he could think of nothing else other than her
safety...running from his room to hers, he careened & ricocheted off of every object in the hallway, until he reached her door...(the very same door she had given him a "key" to when he was much younger...the very same door to the room that he saw "nothing" in when he unlocked & opened it)...

There she was, as he threw open the door...smiling...adrift in a sea of fine linens & silks covering her bed...her hands crossed, gently, upon her waist...(her spirit, flying free now...her grace & beauty still shining from the frail mortal frame visible before him)...

Anguish...sorrow...heartache, all flooded from him uncontrollably;

Suddenly, he realized that nothing she had shared with him all his life could "change" what had so unfortunately occurred overnight...however, by remembering her words & wishes, he could come to an understanding of the moment & find in it exactly what she had always hoped he would: beauty, in emptiness...

As when he "first" opened the locked door to this very room many years ago, he saw nothing...(his lack of experience & perception prevented him from progressing any further at that time);

Some time later, when she held his hand at the edge of the vast forest, she asked him again what he saw...(that time, through her nurturing & teachings, he was able to see beyond the silent, lifeless trees, void of all animals, sound & activity; he began to see the invisible...things that he could only discern after acclimating himself to looking for the signs she advised him of);

Now, he was satisfied he could finally honor her at the end of her days with him by seeing what "she" saw with empathy & acceptance...

This woman...she who cared for him & allowed him to grow from youth to manhood in safety, with the ability to make his own decisions & judgements...was gone...never to be seen again, until he turned his own corner in life, catching up to her on the journey she was now on...

Now...his life was "empty"...

Empty as the locked room...
Empty as the vast forest...
Empty as her frail, mortal frame now was, without her gentle soul to occupy it...

And yet, all was well...

She gave him knowledge, love & truth...
He understood that emptiness could indeed hold infinite beauty & worth...

She lived on, in him, because he became a better human being simply for knowing her & appreciating her efforts to open his mind & heart...

That is all she ever hoped for;
(That is all "anyone" could ever hope for)...

~~~~~

As usual, life has a way of creeping up on me & imposing itself on whatever I'm involved with...

My apologies for such short notice, but today's post will be the last I'll be able to devote myself to; things are at a point now that an abrupt work-schedule revision & change of duties (as well as increasingly important family matters that must be tended to...matters that take precedence over all else) must have my full concentration & attention...

I am actually quite surprised that I was able to last this long (almost 300 posts!) before having to stop...I credit all the wonderful, creative people I've been able to interact with here as the reason...

Thank you all, so much, for being so supportive & encouraging...

...for being so sincere & generous in sharing your photographic skills & gifts of words...

...for showing me how everyone across the world really "is" quite similar in an amazing number of ways...

Again, I thank you all for bringing out something in me that I would "never" have been able to do on my own...(as my story above expresses, you've all made me a better human being simply by existing & showing me such friendship)...


"There is never enough time (to repay kindness shown to you)..."

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