The Tide

She waits in quiet anticipation. She knows he will come soon. He always has. The sun has beamed on her relentlessly all day, and she intensely desires the refreshing feeling

that always comes with his presence.

Suddenly she feels his touch. It is like the brushing of hands and the quick withdrawal, each wondering if the other wishes for more. It is the same every evening, and the very familiarity of the touch makes it thrilling.

Another touch, this time with a little more urgency but still not demanding.

Again he withdraws. It isn't a tease. It is more like a promise.

There is no rushing in to claim her, just a slow and gentle movement.

Like a kiss, then wait; a caress, wait; an embrace, wait; until they both know total acceptance.

He stays with her all night, as he always has. He is conscious of her every move and protects her from the elements as he gently covers her with his presence. While he is there, she abandons herself to him completely. There is no fear that she will lose her identity. He is not asking her to become like him, nor does she expect him to become like her. It is the very difference in them that makes the relationship possible. He needs her warmth, a quiet resting place for the night; and she needs his comfort, a calm refreshing from the heat of the day.
She knows he will leave her in the morning, and she knows he will return in the evening,

so there is no fear in letting him go.

He knows she will be there when he returns, so there is no regret in leaving.

He leaves quietly and gently, just as he came.

His ebb and flow is like a kiss, a sweet good-by ...he returns for a quick caress, waves farewell

...returns again, lingering and savoring the moment, longing to stay but knowing he must leave.

He returns one last time and then like fingertip to fingertip leaves

...the last touch bearing the promise of return.

She is the same, yet a little different for his having been there.

It is impossible for her to have given herself so unconditionally without gaining something.

Once again she feels new, refreshed, and ready to face the world.

He had brought treasures for her to share ...tiny shells that represent his faithfulness.

His gifts to her will be her gift to those who visit the beach today.

She can give without reservation.

After all, he will return this evening just as he always has,

once again bringing treasures from the depth of the sea.

She has no reason to doubt.

He is as unfailing as the tide.

c 1992 Ilene Madrigal
All Rights Reserved

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Dykesdog - it seems that I didn't rate as well as you and I haven't been flagged. What can that mean???? That perhaps I should be flogged?

Bus Trip Through Life

I awoke with a start from one of many naps, I had taken on my bus trip home from a wild-fun weekend celebrating St. Patrick's Day with my sister-nieces in Jackson, MS – an adventure in itself to say the least – the trip not the naps - and noticed that we were at mile marker #24. I suddenly realized I had no idea if we were 24 miles away from North Carolina or 24 miles away from South Carolina. And more importantly, I understood that it just didn’t make any difference. There wasn’t a damn thing I could do to change where I was. I just was where I was – at this moment in my journey - and it was ok.

I looked at the people sitting around me and wondered where they were on their particular journey in life. Here we were, 55 people within talking distance of each other, 24 miles from somewhere, each on our way to the same destination at this one moment in time. Yet, on the other hand, each of us were in a very different place in our individual lives, each on completely separate journeys to entirely different destinations – each in a place unbeknown to the other – light-years away from each other - with only the bus as our common link.

Wow! What a concept. Fifty-five people who had relinquished control of this moment in time to a bus driver who was really on his own separate journey in life. Most of us had boarded the bus at different stations along the route and would exit the bus at different stations, but for this one moment, frozen in the now, we shared the commonality of being 24 miles from the unknown.

I marveled at the complexity and yet the simplicity of it all. At the simplest point, we were just passengers on a bus somewhere in North or South Carolina. It didn’t matter when or where we had boarded the bus or when or where we would de-board – we were at the same place, at the same time, right now - just for this moment. Nothing very complicated about that. Right? As the bus rocketed along at 70 mph we continued in the now – oh yes, the mile markers changed but we didn’t, we were in the moment where nothing changes – everything is complete – free from the illusion of control.

All the while, however, we were each making decisions in the ‘now’ that would influence our final destination in life – complicating the simple. Through the medium of thought and the action we would take on those thoughts we were changing our destinies, and in the process, affecting the lives of others. What if I chose at that very moment to de-board in Charlotte, NC instead of Raleigh. That would start a chain reaction in the lives of many people. For example, my friend would be waiting at the station in Raleigh to pick me up and take me home. When I don’t show, his plans begin to change. My son, who is waiting at home for me, would call his sisters - certainly not in his plan when I passed mile marker #24. A few minutes before all of them would have been concerned with only their own thought processes, but now they would react to the action of his phone call – each action would spark a reaction – and that reaction would affect others in their immediate circle of family and friends – the result of one thought process of one person at a particular moment in time at mile marker #24.

Oh yeah, we believe that we are individuals, living our own lives, each on our own personal journey – pushing on toward our own specific destination, but in reality we are one common cosmic being – in a continuous movement of flux – forever changing – in a place where nothing remains the same; yet, also, always in the now where nothing ever changes – a place without beginning or end – where everything remains the same - frozen in a moment in time - 24 miles from somewhere – on the road to anywhere on the bus ride of life.

© 2006 Ilene Madrigal