And then there is the front door.
It stands there innocent and unpresuming. It is both inside and outside at the same time. On the inside, it shelters me from what is beyond the threshold. And that, my friends, is what makes the act of confronting the day, at times, a difficult task.
Once the physical door is opened, the face of reality greets me whether I am prepared for it or not. In the “real” world, it could be weather, sounds, smells, animals, friends, strangers or stillness and calm.
And then there is the metaphorical door.
It is the one, unseen, that also stands innocent and unpresuming. It is both everything and nothing at the same time. This door shelters me as well. It shelters me from what is beyond its threshold. And those, my friends are the imaginations of the mind. And confronting them, at times, is a difficult task.
Once the metaphorical door is opened, the swirl of unanswered questions greets me begging for attention. In the “metaphorical” world it could be stress, happiness, loneliness, acceptance of oneself, personal health, relationships, or whether to close the door and brew another cup of coffee.
While there is no real control over the other side of the real door, Mother Nature for the most part takes care of that, stepping through the metaphorical door allows the opportunity to assess one’s true well being. It offers the opportunity to make decisions and have control. The trick is to not succumb to the temptation of stepping back inside to brew another cup of coffee.
It has been, for me, a long seven months since Joyce passed. My self imposed isolation has afforded me the opportunity to co-exist with both of my doors. Peaceful Pines is a great place to do that. There has been a lot of healing that has taken place. Grief is a very formidable opponent. I am glad to say that I did not succumb to the temptation of closing the metaphorical door, but have embraced moving forward in a positive healthy way. Family and friends have been in my corner from the very beginning and I am positive that is what made moving forward possible.
“And what does moving forward, for you, mean?”, you might ask.
First, the real door at Peaceful Pines is open for visitors again. You may be passing through on your way somewhere, but the coffee is always on. You may be looking for a place to camp or to stay at the Peaceful Pines “BnB” as many have done in the past. The fire pits will be blazing ( DNR permitting ), the trails will be groomed and there will always be a meal at the table.
Second, the metaphorical door will find me venturing out renewing old and building new relationships, which is something that, while a challenge for me (the new part), will help to keep me moving forward, and I am looking ahead to those opportunities.
