She Walked a Crooked Path

 My wife and I are in the process of packing up our house in preparation for moving to western North Carolina. We have been living in our Tampa, Florida, home for a little over 7 years, and certainly, we have grown a lot since we came here from Nashville, Tennessee, in 2015. As I am carefully cataloging belongings now arranged in boxes, I am thinking about all that has happened during this time. I have to admit, I'm feeling sad to leave this wonderful place, even while I'm excited for our next adventure. It was in 2013 that Rainy and I came down here so she could run a half marathon in St. Pete Beach. After the race, we drove the route she took and she showed me things she had seen on foot. We stopped near a fishing charter business along the sea wall on Pass-a-Grille, and stood watching the pelicans as they groomed themselves standing on top of pilings stuck into the sandy bottom of the bay. A dolphin breached and took our breath away.  I was not well back then. My dad had di...

Looking at the date stamp, I started trying to write this post a month ago. Going back to Illinois was a profound experience, and I learned some things. I learned that the only thing I can do for a friend who can't seem to get clean from drugs is to sit with her while she tries to want to get clean, and that I cannot control her outcome whatsoever. I am only here to show her that she is not alone. I learned that if I follow my instincts, beautiful blessings will find me, sometimes in the form of a young gay man with a sweet spirit who sits with me over a cup of coffee. I learned for the 40 millionth time that my Aunt Vickie is deeply wise and is my spirit guide on earth. I learned that weather events can show up as old friends to wish me adieu as I gather up all my selves and move forward with my life. My beloved energy healer Christine once told me that as I went on the journey to heal myself, everything around me would begin to change. It makes sense that in my physical world, ho...