A Step Away

When I was a little girl growing up in the woodlands of Maine, my mom would squirt a small amount of Joy dish soap and water into a cup and give me a plastic straw and I’d take it outside our apartment in Charleston and dump a good part of it on the grass, as the ground needed a fair amount of preparation for the pointy ends of the grass not to pierce my intended creation. I’d sprawl out and rest my straw in the soap, forming an amazing array of rainbow hues atop a lush carpet of deep green.

But, as moments of joy do end, I vividly remember my dismay in discovering that all bubbles die, after what appeared to me a very short life. I remember watching each iridescent bubble, with the forever-hope of a young child, that this one would not follow the same course as all the others. But alas, the empty black holes always emerged as if tiny cancers in my bubbles—ever growing, always consuming—as is the fate of all bubbles amongst the demands of time and circumstance. Would that I might find the secret to eternal bubbles—never dying—always remaining, but then, what would I do with them all? And who am I do assume such a lofty position? Did not each bubble fulfill their intended purpose in existing that I might have wonder and delight in their creation? And finally, would the thrill of the bubble be dimmed, if bubbles never burst—popping into frothy mists and dissipating back into the earth?

What do I take for granted now that if it were suddenly gone, I’d mourn the loss of?

What is life, if not iridescent, fragile bubbles of life and love, forever dissipating into the annals of time?

Ah-but herein I know the secret! Life and love in all its wonder is and always will be eternal in nature and substance. It might appear to “die” as mortal does, but what waits on the other side has existed from before the beginning of time. We return back, from whence we came—this place called heaven—is home, but a step away.

Per chance might I find my bubbles there?

Cool Dream

I had this dream on July 27, 2009 and told some friends that as soon as I began blogging, I'd post it. I wrote it down as soon as I woke up. I never edit or revise writings of that nature because I want it to be as fresh as the moment it happened. Here it is ...

Last night I had a dream and in my dream I went outside. I was carrying something but don't remember what. The first thing that I noticed was the clouds. They had an unusual color maybe a green tint (lining) maybe not but they were mounded up like columns or pillars only wide and still topped like a cloud. As I looked closer I saw tiny lines at the base of the clouds (not the bottom though, just lower than midpoint). They didn't look like part of a normal cloud so I kept looking and as I did I could see that there was a long line of people all clad in the same color as the clouds (or at least close enough to blend in). I recognized them as angels of the Lord so I scanned across them looking for the Savior and there He was in the center of the line. There was a slight space between Him and the angels and His arms were outstretched. I pointed to the sky and was vaguely aware that others were too, but not everyone. Those of us that saw Christ knew we were supposed to get to higher ground (now this is where I'm fairly sure that a normal dream sequence took over). Those of us that could see Him began to climb this mountain that appeared in front of us while those who could not tried to prevent us from climbing. One mother of a former student could not see the Savior, but her children could and they came with me, but she didn't. Now the dream begins to get strange as dreams often do and because those that couldn't see the Savior tried to prevent me from climbing, I was able (because of my faith) to hold onto the children and simply rise in the sky. Cool dream, huh?

I had a second dream a few days later which I recorded as soon as I awoke, but I'm not going to record it here (it was not about the Savior). I'm not going to record it because I want to turn it into a book! It was pretty cool. I've had lots of neat dreams and have a paper I wrote called Dreams and Other Significant Things. Eventually, time permitting, I will post it.

Time Flies

So ... yesterday I had this awesome "conversation" via facebook with a friend of mine from yesteryear. We were best buds in high school, but as time often does, it slipped away ... and 21 years later with an ocean now between us, I found my friend 21 years married to a British guy and living in England with 2 boys, 3 girls and 3 grandchildren. She reminded me of some hilarious times we had together ... funny how I had almost forgotten them, but how quickly they came back to memory. I guess friends are like that ... almost forgotten, but quickly back again, as if neither time nor distance had ever come between. Love you Jill! and thanks facebook ...