Dissipation

There’s a smell like honeysuckle

in the morning dew-drop air.

And as the sun evaporates the fog,

I am evaporated too,

lifted up into the sherbet sky of a Springtime dawn

until I am dissipated out to fine motes of dust

which scatter wildly in the wind

until they find a far-away shore and settle

as refugees amongst the grains of sand

on the dunes of an ancient ocean floor.

Let the Dogs Have Their Fun

Almost all the snow has melted into muddy puddles that huddle against the chain link fence and there’s a steady drizzle of rain.

I fear the dogs will redecorate the kitchen floor using damp paws and wet underbellies.

But then my emotions shift like sand and I find a strange joy as I disregard reason and let the dogs have their fun.

I watch from my window as the seasons revolve, and I can tell that Winter’s end is near. I hear Spring in the sound of the windchimes, coupled with the drumming of the rain against the back porch.

And when the dogs return to the door, soaked and happy and begging to come inside, I open up and feed them treats and ignore the muddy puddles all over the floor.

Because cleaning up can wait. I want to stay in the happy moment of the now.

Wayfinding

If I were an ancient
Wayfinder
Wandering the world in
search of solace,
The stars and sea would be
useless to me.

I would look instead to you
as my beacon,
Because you are my home.

Building the Ultimate Road Trip Playlist

The boys and I are taking a road trip to North Carolina in a few weeks, and I have a whole list of things I need to do to get ready. The car needs an oil change, I need to check my stock of Dramamine for Logan, and of course (perhaps most importantly) I need to build the ultimate road trip playlist.

Luckily the boys and I share a similar taste in music, which makes the task of creating a shared playlist a little bit easier. But how do you fill nearly twelve hours with music? Do you allow repeats? Do you have a structured list or just a random shuffle? Do you include new music that you have been meaning to listen to, or stick to the classics?

I would love to hear your ideas/suggestions. Post them in the comments below and I’ll be sure to check them out!

The Forest for the Trees ? ?

I’ve been looking for a new job since the beginning of the year, but so far I’ve not had much luck.

A few weeks ago, I thought that I was really close to landing what seemed to be a perfect job. I jumped through all of the company’s hoops (including a phone screen, a phone interview, and two video interviews with a recruiter, two personality tests, an accounting test, an in-person interview, and a panel interview) and made it to the “final” interview. I was told that a decision would be made the next day, but then… nothing. I sent a “thank you” email, hoping for some sort of response. Still nothing.

After waiting a full week, I finally emailed the recruiter, who told me that he believed “they are planning to move someone else into the… position” but that “there may be another position that is coming open that you may be a great fit for… details on that any time now.”

It’s been over a week since I received this email, and I’m starting to think that it was just a line, like “no need to reapply, we’ll keep your resume on file for future consideration.”

I’m starting to think that searching for a job is a lot like dating. You spend lots of time looking at online profiles until you finally get a bite. You exchange a few emails, phone calls, and then agree to meet in person. You get dressed up, do your hair, makeup and nails. You try to present your best self, sharing your hopes and goals. You have a great discussion. You leave feeling confident that it’s a match, that this may just be the one, only to have them totally ghost on you.

What can you do other than try again?

I had a great phone interview earlier this week, followed by an awesome interview yesterday for a job that would be even more perfect for me than the “perfect” job I missed out on.

So what is the moral of this story? And why did I title this post “The Forest for the Trees ??”? Because I’ve come to accept that the path of our lives is like a winding path through the forest. And even though we may be disappointed by an unexpected turn, or see something that we desire that we cannot reach from our path; even though we cannot see our destination, we must trust that there is an overarching plan, and a force that’s looking out for us, guiding us towards the destination that is ultimately best for us. Whether you call it God, the Universe, Allah, the Great Spirit or any other name, you can take take comfort in the fact that your disappointments and failures are actually clearing the way for your greatest successes.