Crossroads and the Sweltering Heat - May 2019 into June 2019

Crossroads are not always unwelcome. And mine are not right now, but letting go of one thing to take hold of  another can be fretful. In some ways, our recent sweltering and oven-like heat has been metaphoric to me, reminding me, that I once enjoyed the overwhelming heat of summer. Now I'm just not able to tolerate it. Just unable to withstand the sun and how it drains you, leaves you worthless.
Admitting too much sun is disabling is in some ways- it's like letting go of childhood, the simple things that once characterized a carefree sense of summer. I don't think my mother was exempt from this feeling all the time either, but I believe even she would say, our lives were far more carefree, especially in summer.

Me hiding in the shade and avoiding the dinner hour. 

May went by with great haste and now we are midway through June. Seventy- five years ago, soldiers were several days into the Invasion of D-Day, and France was on it's way to liberation.
Recently reading, The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, it is fresh on my mind. My friend Elizabeth, who finished at the same marathon pace I did, shared how trivial her trials felt by comparison. The story is so real, and so layered. When you believe it can’t get worse, it does. Yet their perseverance is what drives you on, to finish the book without blinking. I found the aspect of the sister’s relationship interesting. The Close Readers are discussing Sense and Sensibility, and 'sister- teams' (#TeamMarianne or #TeamElinor) are dividing up. But after a good laugh, most admit relating to both sisters, and reflecting also on the sisters in Pride and Prejudice, it comes to the forefront that they are not enemies, but complimentary and an expression of their family's dynamic. Because as the reader, we are sometimes informed to subtle nuances unknown to the characters, we can contrive and create and even understand, what they may not see.  In our own lives, we can learn the same- perhaps with our own siblings, our own companions; we would do well to appreciate our complimentary characteristics and less of our differences, knowing there are so many things we just can't see or understand, including the other's perspective. In the ‘Nightingale’the family all are impacted by sudden intense dramatic moments, as well as incremental tragedy. The story beautifully weaves the family in and out of each other’s lives, and at the same time shares a greater story of hopeful redemption, not unlike that demonstrated by our Lord. As my friend Elizabeth said, don’t finish this book in a public place. Be prepared to mourn, but also be prepared to face anew the challenge you find in your own life. The story will linger in your memory and you will, I believe, be compelled to embrace challenge as it comes your way.