He asked me whether I’d prefer to be a doctor or a blacksmith and I said I wasn’t sure because I wanted more details.
Maybe it was because he asked me whether I thought soulmates were real and if I had ever experienced anything like it before.
“If I were a blacksmith I’d fire up my forge and make something that would answer one of your questions. I might even tell you about the man who loved Jericho, how he found her, lost her and spent another life time looking for her.”
He didn’t get a chance to respond because the woman at the table behind us said that if Jericho was a true soulmate she was never lost. She simply moved on and that the universe might choose to move her into his orbit again.
“Into his orbit again? That is a unique way of putting it.”
She smiled and told us that soulmates aren’t always romantic in nature and that sometimes they can be just friends.
“But in this case, I think she was probably more and could be again because the true loves of our lives never really go away.”
“That would make for a nice greeting card.”
She rolled her eyes at me and said something about men of little faith and said she hoped I hoped my dreams were answered.
Living As The Unforgiven
Sometimes I want to be the doctor because there is nothing more noble than healing the sick but I am not certain that I am not too sick to provide such healing.
That is why I lean towards the blacksmith because you can still be of service to people. You can still make things they need and repair that which has been broken.
You can use your hands and your mind to problem solve and create solutions that make life easier for others.
But the real trick is trying to turn that ability inwards and find a way to adapt, adopt and adjust so that you are no longer living as the unforgiven.
****
It took years for things to get to the point of destruction and ruin and years to get beyond. In spite of his best efforts no one was spared and all suffered some damage to one degree or another.
That hurt but he consoled himself by believing he had taken the brunt of the blows and surmised that his broad back had been good for something.
Eventually he would discover that his back wasn’t quite so broad and his best efforts had not been so good and as a result someone had taken a bad beating.
That was when he discovered that his entire heart hadn’t already been ripped out. In spite of his belief that it had been it turned out only a small portion had been.
The news of the beating and the growing awareness of what had happened proved that a significant part had remained of regenerated.
Didn’t matter which reason was right because the pain was just as profound and so he joined the ranks of the living as the unforgiven.
And for the second or third time he stood there with an outstretched hand that remained…empty.
Life As Miracle
“Is Jericho real and will I ever hear the full story? What do you think of that woman at Starbucks and her comments?”
“Sometimes you live through the end of all secrets and sometimes you only think you do. Perception is reality and it is possible there was someone named Jericho and the most intense love you can imagine.
But is the reality that it was shared and experienced by both or is that just the perception. Are soulmates real or just a tale we tell ourselves because we love the idea of finding someone who completes us.
That presents a whole other discussion about whether you can and or should rely upon another to complete you or if you should focus on finding all those aspects within yourself.”
A soft voice replied, “Did you hear the lady at Starbucks say to stop thinking and just feel because it is where you’ll find your reality and true spirit?
“That is all you need to know. I haven’t the energy to dig any deeper nor am I willing to position myself as Charlie Brown racing towards a ball he is almost certain that Lucy is going to pull away. We focus upon the present and let the future come in its own time.
Broken For Now Or Forever
“What is with all the bravado and rah-rah stuff? Where does that come from and why don’t you give it a rest?”
The wannabe blacksmith took a deep breath and said when you are in a situation where you have to take a hard look and say “broken for now or broken forever” and wonder what share of responsibility belongs to you things are challenging.
Sometimes you have to be the hero or at least pretend to be because the alternative would paralyze you.
Sometimes you ask to be written into the book for another year regardless of whether you believe or not because it can’t hurt.
Such is life in the land of the unforgiven.
