I've never been the kind of person who has planned particularly far in advance as far as my life is concerned; if you ask me where I'll be in five years (or even one year), I probably won't be able to answer. So I had no plan twelve years ago that I'd still be here now, let alone that I'd be in my current roles. Hitting another anniversary is always a bit of a surprise.
What's striking me tonight is that our discourse -- or, at least, the discourse of country music -- actively reminds us that we should attend to things as if they may not last. "If tomorrow never comes" is just one of many examples in my head tonight. In some ways, we (or I, at least) brace ourselves for change. And change is always right around the corner, an unavoidable element in the cycles of life. But I don't remember being warned about the opposite. What if tomorrow keeps coming?
This question could lead to deeper musings, of course, as to think about the disposable nature of our society, or of the human challenges of embracing both temporality and permanence. There are more than enough moments in life where we expect something will last, only to be disappointed or surprised when change does happen. And, of course, there are plenty of other moments that ask us to make intentional and thoughtful commitments to or investments in the future. But tonight I'm simply sitting in a bit of wonder at this particular landmark, and imagining whether a decision I make tomorrow or next week or next month might be one that I am still carrying twelve (or more) years later, and feeling both the weight and the possibility of it.
And, of course, wondering where the next twelve years will take me/us.
Congratulations on your 12 years working here at Iliff, it is a gift to work with you and learn from you. I find your words encouraging as I am approaching the start of my career (whatever that will be), that sometimes you just have to go along for the ride and see where it takes you. That's what I did when I chose Iliff, I just jumped on to see where life, God would take me. My expectations have been surpassed ten-fold. I have a deeper understanding of who I am, why I am here, and where I am going (to an extent). Thank you for your thoughts.
ReplyDeletethankful that i'm now in this space, shared critical space, w/ you and others. grateful for the sacred/divine nature of the space you create, virtually and otherwise. simply grateful...thanks!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 12th anniversary! You know what is mine and my beloved's vision, dream and prayer for your at school! No pressure! May I just say that who you are and the gifts you so generously offer to all of us are a true blessing.
ReplyDeleteI think that sometimes planning too much or attempting to control too much of our future can be not only exhausting and anxiety inducing, but also might take away the intentionality and the reminder that life is a journey and not a race towards one single goal.
It was a new thing for me, when I came to this country, when people start to ask me "where do you see yourself in 5 years?"
Paz,
NancyR