Canyons and Bridges of Life

In October, I went to Antelope Canyon in Arizona.  I was with some of the people I love most in the world and had made these canyons a bucket list item.  The smooth curved rock walls with spectacular light shining through, the narrow passageways and large channels were awesome and at the same time, a little disappointing.

I had expectations of a rigorous hike into the valleys of the canyon. I was looking forward to the strenuousness and rugged beauty I was sure awaited me.  Instead we encountered a long staircase with a maze like walk through the caves.  Had I not had expectations, my experience would have been different.

I chuckled to myself when I had awareness of this and did a little berating that I “should know better.”  Then, I offered myself the gift of being present.  Like all situations and relationships, expectations are a sure way to create canyons in relationships and experiences.

As I was walking through one of the narrow portions, I recognized that the formations are a beautiful representation of relationships.  Our spouses, partners, parent/child, work colleagues and employees or even friendships.  At times, we are are so close and the space between us is so narrow.  We weave and wave together in spectacular harmony and things seem in flow and congruent.

At other times, the distance between us is so great created by life events, like the walls of the canyons.  Water rushing through our relationships wearing away at the closeness we once shared leaving sand and dirt and jagged rocks behind.  Things are uneven, unpredictable and sometimes even crumble under the chaos.  Sometimes, however, the walls smooth out, new channels are formed and incredible patterns are created on the walls of our lives.

We will all experience the rushing of water churning through our lives.  None of us will come through life unscathed. The beauty, however, comes in the form of how you weather those storms in your relationships.  Do you learn to see the changes and shifts and appreciate one another?  Do you look for the perfection in the imperfections.  Can those beams of light shine through in even the darkest times and cast amazing shadows and dancing light upon the emptiness in your soul?

Relationships are not without ebbs and flows, close steady times and vast distances between you.  How do you build bridges together across the canyons of life?  Do you have expectations of one another acting a certain way, saying certain things or can you appreciate what growth and change looks like and embrace what is being offered?

What is the expectation or story you have of a relationship that feels disappointing?  It is so simple to get caught up in the rewind and replay cycle that you can’t possibly get to repair or restore.  The majesty or maladies of our relationships starts with what we think about the other person and ourselves.

I challenge you this month, the month of love and hearts abounding, to ask yourself, where have I created canyons in my life?  What do I currently think about the person I have allowed rushing water to erode our relationship?  What part do I play in this chasm?  Do I want to begin the journey of repairing or does restoration look like lovingly letting go?

I am here to guide you through the canyons of life friends.  I see the beauty in your walls, the reason you built them and know how hard it is to smooth them out.  It is possible, however, to let the light, your light, guide you to a beautiful place of peace and love for yourself and your journey.

Happy February.  Sending and sharing much love to you.

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