When you start planning a journey, there’s a lot of ADDITION to your life. There’s choosing a destination, learning about it, selecting the course of action.
Then there’s that small pause between the planning and the doing where the SUBTRACTION lives. You start to delegate projects at work, maybe drop off the kids at the grandparents, or the pets at the sitter. There’s are moments of letting go, of little griefs that free you up to move on, while allowing the important parts of your life to continue without you.
That really started to hit home today, as we enter the last week before the trip.
A friend is going to stay in my home to take care of the dogs. There’s going to be an art show that the Artists Guild is going to produce in my absence. There are parts of work that need to be demonstrated this week, so we don’t skip a beat.
I have faith that everything is going to be fine. What can get done, will get done. What won’t get done, can either wait, or not. Life is good, and Life goes on.
That doesn’t mean that it’s all done, of course. There are still lists of lists and no rest for the weary, but I’ve been reminding myself and others, that we’re going to a civilized society (that has toothpaste and extra pants) and that we still have technology to keep us “close”.
On the surface, it’s “just a trip” but it’s so much more than that. I’m not talking about the “chance of a lifetime” thing again either. I’m talking about how this opportunity is also a great teacher. The choices I’m making let’s me know what’s really important to me. What will I continue to do when it’s all over?
They let me know what isn’t important too. What can I change, or leave behind entirely?
Because this is a big “check off” on my life’s Mega To Do List, the next question is “what’s next?”
What other dreams fly beyond this mountain top?
I don’t have all the answers to that. Maybe I’ll find them standing on the Tower Bridge, or on the plane home.
Or maybe not. It’s kind of exciting not knowing. At least for the moment.
Letting go of the future is a freeing as letting go of the past.
That’s what makes today our present.
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This is made possible through the presents of generous, kind and loving people like you. I’m still quite a distance away from the goal, so I’m offering products and portraits to those who want to come along on this journey. Donate here: https://gofund.me/f6cfc391 or Venmo @StuRosenArt. Every bit helps.