Juggling

I know a guy named Joel who is a mean juggler. I've seen him juggle a variety of different objects and it's always the same. Balls, plates and the random block-shaped object all go whirling around in space and Joel? He never flinches. He keeps his gaze fixated. Dead center, straight ahead. I don't even know if he sees those balls, at all, anyway.

The days, the activities and the onslaught of new obstacles, they keep coming and they keep going. A few days ago, I had a schedule packed full and fit for any dynamo of a Queen, and I set out, determined. I got about 1/6th of the way through my day when the universe conspired against my mobility and stopped me in my tracks. I made a jerky movement, jacked up my foot, sliced it open and bam. Woman down. Literally. I had a moment, paralyzed in motion, some juggled ball, hung up in the air and I thought: What do I do now? Then, I remembered I'm a juggler. I keep looking forward.

At aloft, there are any number of things happening at any given moment. We're happy hour-ing while a book club is holding their monthly meeting in our conference room. A family reunion descends upon us early, the rooms aren't ready and we've scheduled live music on the patio, but it's raining. Suddenly, the power goes out and the chihuaua in room 504, deathly afraid of thunder, begins to bark. Without pause. The balls are spinning, sure, but who knows? It's not easy to see that center, that centrifugal force.

Then, I remember Joel the Juggler.

Right smack in the middle of all of that "happening," there is a truth. Beauty and order can be found in letting go. When we accept chaos, we find control. It just doesn't look like what we thought. The peace, the order and the ease we need aren't always found by holding tightly to the balls we've got. We have to put them out there and let them fly, trusting the flow, trusting the sky. Actually, this life? Is fun.

It only gets crazier, kittens. It only gets woolier. We only have to fly higher and get further and further from the ground. We're jugglers, we can handle it. We keep our eyes on the center, on the truth, on that ever-glowing prize.

Ramp it up and channel Joel, this week. Remember, you're still alive.