Friday, August 22, 2008

Eye Contact

Of all her attempts to numb it, she couldn’t make it go away. There was no sign of relief at the end of the day. She searched for rest, but instead settled for just the idea of being at peace. Hiding behind busyness and responsibilities, she desperately made an effort to distract her mind from what her heart was enduring. It left her exhausted.

The silence that she used to welcome now was the thorn in her side. With no noise and nothing else to serve as a diversion, she trembled with apprehension. She was afraid to be alone with him. The longing that she once had for him had diminished and was replaced with fear. She dodged his glances but couldn’t help but notice that his eyes never left hers. She couldn’t look him in the eye for fear that he would see right through her lies. All she could think about was the silent judgment he would cast on her as she stood there exposed of all the things she tried so hard to hide. He had a way of illuminating her hurt, and she was not welcoming of it. It would be harder to disguise it. She had tried to ignore it. Thinking that maybe it would be pushed farther and farther into the crevices of her heart where it would be difficult to find…even for him. There was power in his presence though. She couldn’t understand it, but as they both sat in silence she was becoming more aware of the aching pain in her chest. 

 “I can’t give you this” she whispered as he stood up to make his way towards her.

He didn’t respond, but instead reached for her hand and pulled her towards his chest. Intertwining her fingers with his, his wounded palm collapsed into hers as he whispered back,

“It’s already mine. And so are you.”

Posted by heather at 04:10:14 | Permalink | No Comments »

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Flying Solo

I don’t fly a whole lot. I don’t mind it that much, but when I do go somewhere it’s with a pretty big group of people. (ie. 50 of us heading to France last summer)

Flying to Miami for the Colombian trip was the first time I had flown alone. I felt like a big girl. Security by myself. Boarding by myself. Starbucks near the terminal by myself.

Airports have a way of making you think about the human condition. Like what the man with the suit and briefcase is leaving behind. Or what the woman boarding by herself is trying to escape. Everyone is trying to get away or start over or is just in search for something new. So many souls in one building, waiting for the same thing for different reasons.

I think the world can be a lonely place. There’s a mentality that we’re on our own and that the things we deal with are simply personal problems. But airports remind me of the common ground that we all share within ourselves. Regardless of moral and religious beliefs, we’re not so different. We’re all running. We’re all searching. We all desire the same thing. I wonder if it will always be this way.

I think I like airports.

Posted by heather at 05:36:59 | Permalink | Comments (1) »