On Being With

Brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you.

—1 Thessalonians 2:17

Last night we had good friends over, because I won’t see them for a while with all the traveling I’ll be doing this fall. After all our kids were in bed, we ate Boursin cheese and dark chocolate almonds and strawberries. We drank wine and laughed and caught up, and the sweetness of last night is making my heart ache a little, missing them in advance.

I love what I do, and I’m so deeply thankful to travel for work to so many beautiful parts of the world, but at the same time, I don’t want to miss even a moment in this, my everyday life, the blood and bones of day to day.

Maybe this is how it’s supposed to be. My friend Steve says that you’re a lucky person when you love to go to work in the morning, and you equally love to come home at the end of the day. So I’ve resolved to be here, present to what life hands me here. And when it is time to be somewhere else, I will be there, present to what life hands me there.