...to realize that I have not yet reached a stage in my life when I can no longer be surprised.
That in spite of (or perhaps due to?) vast intellect, well earned wisdom, finely honed wit, endless, unrelenting charm, and tireless self-aggrandizement, I can still be wowed.
Yes, there is comfort in the knowledge that I can still recognize thrill, humility, excitement, disappointment, pride, shock and contentment.That I will forever embody the hero, the fool, the father, the stranger, the healer, or some newly invented archetype. That I will always be warmly welcomed by these and all the faces and regulars that frequent my life
But more importantly, that I have not become so jaded as too have lost the capacity to feel them again.
I am well acquainted with all of these experiences and many others. The familiarity. The well-worn path leading not so much away from as back to. The impending u-turn that no longer needs a sign.
Then, suddenly, there are those wonderful things that sneak up behind you in that quick moment just after you started looking too far ahead. Those amazing new faces, needs, minds, fears, voices, frustrations, hearts. The ones that at the same time warmed and confused you. That so filled your life that when they departed it was as if all the oxygen had been taken out of the room along with them.
Thankful that, by their great value, I am made worth more.
Thankful that, in their company, I am made better.
Thankful that, at this stage of my life, I am still able to be surprised.
(orig post 6/24/19)