“You’ve got a nice set-up here,” he said walking in.
“Yes, I do spend quite a bit of time here, so it’s got to be comfortable,” I said.
He gently touched the ornaments displayed, reading the spines of books which caught his attention.
It is not often we get these relaxed times together, a sense of openness present.
I found myself telling him the stories of these books and ornaments. Their origins, what prompted their purchase and why.
I told him of the stone plaque from Chartres Cathedral and my experience walking the labyrinth. I told him about the books on that shelf reminiscing of my journey as a woman. I told him about the books which track my professional evolution. I told him of the sculpture I could not own yet was determined it be a part of my life.
In that moment, I saw the life I have lived, not grand yet filled with awe and excitement even in its narration. A full enough life.
That day I glimpsed the past which made me who I am today, and the magical lives within these items. Looking around, I was aware of the stories yet untold.
And I asked myself, “if I was dragged away from my present life – when my job, my home – with these ornaments and books, and my family and friends are no longer – who would I be?
Who would you be?
What is the essence of you and I?
~ FlorenceT
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