Making Meaning....Live the Dash well....

“Maybe we are all broken pieces from God, 

trying to become whole once more.” ― Urbanky Aurel Petru

It has been awhile since I've written...

I guess 

if I am honest,

the words have been stuck

stuck inside

swirling around

bouncing off

my insides like they were trapped inside

a tin can 

pricking me

words

without 

meaning

just words

holding me together

thinking

wondering

pondering

and 

trying to

dig meaning 

from the fragments of my whole.

Just words

and 

so 

here I go

radical rambler I am

beginning to trust 

that my words

need a home

....

and

..

so

the

.

rambling

my rambling

my thinking and digging and searching 

for meaning

begins

to pour out of my fast typing fingers again

I never know where it will lead

what will 

be birthed as I call it

but

...

i will trust

..

that my 

words 

have meaning

if not just for me

my insides

are all bruised

from the bombardment of

thoughts and

formations

and 

thinking

......

A former colleague who I considered a friend

passed away last month

he was much younger (about 10 years or so) than me

his children are young

beautiful girls that made his face and heart sing and dance when he spoke of them

...

I did not see him often

but

I listened on the day he passed away

to 

all the lives he touched

in all kinds of ways and I was touched by the many ways he made life better for so many people

He was kind

warm

open

...

he hugged

everyone he met

touched them

took them up into his arms

and

held them

made them (me)

feel like I was the most important

person in the world

and that I was his best friend

every single time I met him...

seems he did that for everyone.

He was a young stud when I first met him

and

me with two young babies and a husband

would listen to his adventures 

and

just laugh as 

he entertained me

with his escapades of bachelor life.

....

He taught me how to work crosswords and told me

about how his dad taught him...

I'd work the daily New York Times in pencil...

and

when I'd done all I could 

he'd sit down with a pen--do what I could not do--really quickly

and

fix all my wrong answers.

he bought me diet mountain dew when I was having a bad night

and

he made me laugh...

Later in life as he met his wife and had his girls...

every time I met him

he asked 

about my family by name

and

he smiled

smiled the minute he saw me

and

opened his arms to one of those amazing hugs.

.....

We celebrated his life last week

on a day that 

was hard for me

.....

And He made me laugh again

with stories of his life

the way he collected weird peoples names

and

how he loved to scare people

He reminded me that

we offer our gifts to the world

and 

I listened as 

his boss spoke of 

his calm spirit and his dedication to doing a good job.

....

He loved and he lived well and I sat with 30 people who worked with him and

their stories were rich..

and

I ponder...about that dash--

the 

dash

between

when we are born

and

when we die.

Life It really is about all that stuff that happens in between

that little dash.

...

If at the end of my time

I hope my dash

has meaning

that I've lived 

well

that I've loved

that

I've inspired

.....

May we all

live life 

deeply and fully

like

my friend....

and

may

all the pieces of our lives

broken 

as they seem sometimes

come

together into a 

beautiful 

picture 

that

provide

light

and

color

and

laughter

and

love

...

yes

most of all love

...

to all we meet.

The dash is short

may we live it well

said

the radical rambler on 

this early Saturday morning.

May it be so...

Be safe on this snowy day...

the radical rambler.