The morning light in Seattle filtered softly through the slate grey overcast sky. The Grey Lady is back with a vengeance. The blustery wind tossed leaves, black birds, and random garage throughout the streets, avenues and hiking trails as Seattleites basked in the calming cashmere blanket that is Autumn in the Pacific Northwest.
Sitting at the small table with a steaming mug of Earl Grey black tea with bergamot, Sharon let her gaze drift toward the rain dusted tempered glass windows. The dream from the night before was still fresh in her mind – an unexpected, vivid memory of Ray, a face and chapter from twenty years ago that she had not visited in what felt like a lifetime. There was no pain attached to the memory, no lingering regret or sudden longing. Just a quiet, gentle curiosity. Her sister Lola had did her a favor by seducing him. Loyalty was very important to Sharon and thanks to her little sister she knew that Ray was not up to the task. No harm, no foul.
Sharon closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath, allowing the bergamot in her tea to wash over her entire body filling her with warmth and a feeling of wellness and health. If his soul was reflecting on the past, or if his spirit was simply passing through a transition of its own, she would meet that distance with grace. In the privacy of her heart and soul, she whispered a simple prayer into the chasm between then and now. She envisioned herself sending a gentle wave of peace across the years – wishing him well, honoring the time that had once shared, and releasing the memory back into the quiet currents of the universe like a purple silk ribbon taken from her hand by billowing winds and watching that ribbon dance away from her up into the universe.
When she opened her eyes, the curiosity had settled into a profound sense of Zen. The past was fully at peace; the present was warm and secure, and her day was curled prosperously at her feet like a slinky, purring Siamese cat. She took another slow sip of tea, savoring the honey, lemon, and bergamot pulling her cashmere throw blanket closer to her body knowing that every footprint of her journey brought her to exactly where she was predestined to be.
