There are moments in life when we seem to have come full circle, returning to a place or endeavor we'd previous left behind. In times like that, life can feel like a circle, a spiral, and we may wonder whether we have made any progress at all. I'd like to suggest a different metaphor that helps me embrace those moments as a chance to reflect on how I've grown and recapture the strength and support of which I may have lost track.
Coach Margaret Moore, founder of WellCoaches Corporation, often uses an expression when signing off: "onward and upward!" This reflects the image I've held to describe my own life progress -- one of a spiral staircase. For although we do move in circles of time, growth and relationship, we do not ever return to exactly the same place, but we move onward and, hopefully, upward! Have you ever felt this way? Please reach out and share with me.
This month I'm in a place that healed, nurtured and inspired me during an important life transition that began nearly 30 years ago: Juneau Alaska. Hands down, one of the most beautiful places on earth, with a closeknit community of artists, public servants and fishers, and integral Native Alaskan values. I left Juneau to go to seminary in California; now I return as a priest, a coach, and a mature artist discerning my next steps. What an adventure!
Tell me about your journeys! I'd be honored to hear and to walk beside you. If you're local in Juneau, consider joining me at Holy Trinity Episcopal on Sunday mornings at 8am or 11am. Or come by the Crystal Saloon (!!) on Sunday night, September 25 at 6pm for a farewell performance of our piece Searching and Knowing (events tab). Whatever you do, keep your chin up, even if you're running in the rain.
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