WHAT TO PACK

  

Get a large trunk. Big enough to hold what is behind you, what is ahead of you, and what is within you. Big enough for a lifetime.

 Here is how to fill it.

Acquire a cat. Or let it acquire you. Sleep on your side, legs bent. Let the cat nestle in the crook between your knees and your chin, his purr rumbling deep against your chest, all the way to your heart.

Fetch a dog. Sit silently and work at your computer for two hours, while the dog patiently waits on the sofa. Then stand up and look at her. Laugh at the metronome of her tail, metering the joy in her soul as it connects with yours.

Gather some friends. Meet them in the third grade, or college, or at the coffee shop. Share the coffee. Share your pain. Share your dreams. Share the years. Move to different coasts. Live in the same town. Get busy and only drop an occasional note. Get together and pick up like you saw each other yesterday.

Embrace a sister. A brother. A parent. A cousin. Or some other relative. Realize that you are connected by a bond that comes from no other kind of relationship. Celebrate together. Mourn together. Take care of each other. Pass your bond on to the next generation.

Build a marriage. Let things marinate for twenty, or forty, or fifty years. Raise one, or two, or ten children. Watch them bloom. Pay the bills. Be there for each other. Scrub the toilets. Go to the movies and hold hands, remembering the first time you ever touched, and all you have shared between.

Cradle a child. Or maybe many. Forget the pain of childbirth. Remember the miracle of childbirth. Or first embrace at the airport. Imprint the memory of baby feet into the size twelve shoes he leaves in the hallway. When she is driving you crazy, remember that in your old age, she may be the one driving you where you need to go. Whether flesh of your flesh, or bone of your bone, you are bound to each other. Forever.

And don’t forget the map. Find the spot labeled “You Are Here.” To get your bearings. Then, follow your passions: love nature, love to read, love the arts. Stop to be touched by your blessings. By the hopes of others. Help a child. Plant a garden along your path. Make a detour to someone who needs your company. Accept kindness when you need it. Dance along the way. Share your success. Your experience. Your laughter. Treat your fellow travelers well. Find your own peace. Navigate the storms. See the sun, wherever it might shine. Grow into someone else, someone better, every single day of your one and only life.

Enjoy the journey

Julia Orvis

ã2012