Full Circle

When Kim and I were married back in ’92, the celebrant gave his message about the symbolism of the wedding ring.  He talked about how it is a circle and as such, has no beginning and no end.  It is continuous, nonstop, and everlasting.  A ring has no rough edges, but is smooth and shiny.  The ring is meant to be worn as a reminder that marriage, like love, is meant to last forever.

I’m not sure how I remember little things like that.  Kim would answer that my mind is full of useless trivia and I think my kids would agree.  But at the same time, I don’t think this counts as useless trivia or for that matter, a little thing.

Once upon a time, I grew up in a family of ten.  All of us under one roof.  One by one, we married and had children and raise or raised our children under our own different roof.  And further on down the road, I watched as some of my nieces and nephews had children of their own, and in time, my own will too.  Full Circle.

There was a picture on Facebook showing a toddler pushing a one of those tyke walkers as he was learning to walk.  Walking along side of him was a picture of an elderly woman, perhaps his grandmother, using a walker.  Full Circle.

As a child and as a kid, even as a young man, there were many things I could do.  I could run and was pretty quick.  I could climb, jump, you name it.  Now?  Well, some of those same things I might be able to do, though not nearly as effectively as I once could.  I’m a little stiffer, not as flexible or nearly as coordinated as I once was.  Full Circle.

Fall is probably my favorite of the seasons.  Sweatshirt and jeans kind of weather.  The color of the leaves on the trees, and the piles of leaves on lawns.  The cool crispness of the air.  Contrast this to Spring when there are buds on trees and bushes, and birds chirping, and we slowly peel off the layers of clothes we wear in Fall and Winter.  Full Circle.

In my Lives Trilogy that I wrote, one of the boys who had much happen to him- tragically so- asks one of my other characters why there is so much pain and suffering.  He wanted to know why it happened to him, and to his friends who were caught up in the same tragic circumstance.  The older character smiles tells him that he has no real answer to the boy’s question, but reminds him that there is still much to be grateful for, much to be thankful for, much to love, much to enjoy, and that while he and they suffered, ultimately, they survived, they lived, and need to go on living.  Full Circle.

While there are mountains, there are valleys.  While there are crests of waves, there are also troughs within that same sea.  While there is light, it will turn to dusk and then dark, and then the purple of early morning before the light gives way to pale blue of daylight.  Full Circle.

Love does not end.  I believe this with all my heart.  My faith has led me to this belief.  It goes on.  It lives on.  The form love takes might change, but it goes on.  There might be anger, sadness, and harsh words.  But in the next moment, there is happiness, joy, and kindness.  Once again, Full Circle.

No matter where we look in life, no matter what example we give, there is always another side that is really a continuation of the same side, much like the ring we wear.  There is no end, but a continuous band, smooth without edges, shiny and beautiful.  Be patient for it will come to pass.  Watch for it.  Allow it.  Something to think about . . .

Live Your Life, and Make A Difference!