Turning a page was an entry before leaving the US for Japan embarking on a 2yr assignment.
It was an exciting and nerve wracking decision. At one end, it is an opportunity of a lifetime for my children. On the other end, it is letting go of everything I knew.
Turning a page was an ode to comfort, a call to expand the horizon, stretch and leave out of the comfort zone. It's a catapult to the unknown. The experience was nothing short of amazing. We were uncomfortable, we were out of our comfort zone, we were stretched to our limits, but we persevered. We embraced the change, we looked at our experiences as an adventure, leading with curiosity, and giving ourselves grace and permission to not know. Not knowing is bliss, for at every corner is something unexpected. Something to observe, something to admire, something to remember.
There's no more pages to turn on that story. It is the end of the rollercoaster ride. I have slayed the dragon. It is time for a new adventure. Time to design, develop, a new storyline. A different setting, a location where sunsets are almost always amazing. A different set of characters. Characters who are more developed, more engaged, more intricate, complicated yet relatable. It is time for a new story.
An endless possibility on a blank sheet of paper. What an opportunity! This opportunity however did not come without turmoil. This opportunity is a result of internal struggle to let go, and be freed, from the stories of our past, the characters that dominated, and the ending that was not meant to be. This opportunity has been buried. Buried with beliefs, and hopes, and innocuous amount of undeserved time, patience, understanding, and love.
This blank sheet of paper is like sunrise emerging slowly on the horizon, peering into darkness, and slowly vanishing the stars the lit dark skies. This blank sheet of paper is a cloudless day on a perfect blue sky, the sun shines so bright you must squint your eyes. A fresh day, a new beginning, a first page of many.
As I stare at that blank sheet, I think of the characters. Fully defined, those who have lived, and are living. Those who have loved and lost. Those who experienced pain and triumph. A character, who in its core is someone just like you. Perfect with all the imperfections, creating a day better than yesterday.
The story will take place somewhere where there's sand, and sea, and mountains, and snow. Where there are droughts and floods, and winds, and dryness. The story will take place within us, our life in seasons. It is nothing compared to a life without one. Where the first bud of a bloom is celebrated as much as the first leaf that fall in autumn. Where dryness is a reminder to be grateful for the storm, and the storm is a reminder that when it rains it pours. The story is about the harsh winters, and beauty and warmth of summer.
As I sit today, the page is still blank. Life has only just began. The possibilities are endless how can you pick one.
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