Dark Hallways

By a departing light,
We see acuter, quite,
Than by a wick that stays.
There's something in the flight
That clarifies the sight
And decks the rays.

Emily Dickinson

With the arrival of warm temperatures the animals enjoying a dormancy during the winter months begin to wake up. Where I live that particularly means turtles. They start crawling up out of their earthen beds with thoughts of mates and nest making. I see one almost every day determinedly trudging across the paths around the house or be still my heart, across the country roads. I always worry about those. As we know, not everyone is observant…
Sometimes our own lives are similar to that of the turtle. We can close ourselves up tight in our shells and winter on. That is a good thing and often necessary when life is too much to handle. The trick is not to get attached to that behavior, to remember everything has a time when withdrawal must be set aside for action.
We have all heard the well meaning advice about God not closing one door without opening another. I believe that's true. But once in a while we go out the door of the place we are leaving and get caught in the hallway. There aren't always lights out there. Sometimes it's just dark. You may not be able to see right away where you are supposed to go next. For those of us not used to waiting (you know, the hare type) we get antsy and even frightened. I'm thinking as I watch this sturdy little terrapin navigate the second half of the driveway, that it probably is a good idea to take a hint from him and slow down a bit. Let our eyes get used to the dark and be patient. Once our sight clears we will be able to take a few steps forward. Slowly and deliberately, we will then be able to locate that next door and be on our way,(maybe even quick as a rabbit.)