Friday, February 08, 2008

Embracing Life

In a comment on yesterday's post, the marvelous Nancy from Easy Bake Mom used the phrase "life embracing things," which shined a little light into the corners of my mind. (Thanks, Nancy.)

The thing I've been missing isn't really doing stuff like driving a dog sled through the woods of Northern Minnesota on a cold February afternoon or even drinking champagne in a hot air balloon floating down the St. Croix Valley on a crisp autumn evening. It's feeling so engaged. It's embracing life.

I have been so lucky, so blessed. I really have lived not just a novel, but a whole series of Harlequin romances. Everything from making love on a little point while the sunset splashed glorious color over the Florida Keys to lying naked in the morning sun on the parapet around a fire watch tower in western Montana. From crawling through a sea cave in New Brunswick to hiking the highest trail in the Canadian Rockies. 15 marriage proposals. Three official engagements. Two actual marriages.

Ups and downs a plenty. And through it all, I've embraced life...clung to it, in fact. But now I feel like a spectator, someone in the foothills, watching all the fun through binoculars. Not good ones, either--the kind you get in a box of CrackerJacks.

Changing this is up to me. And today, that feels possible.

6 comments:

Carrie Wilson Link said...

WOW, you HAVE lived some Harlequin romances. My past is so G-rated it's embarrassing. CrackerJack binoculars? TFBS! First thing today get yourself the top of the line binoculars!

And get out the Windex and clean all your windows. Maybe that will brighten the view from where you are now?

Michelle O'Neil said...

Fifteen fucking proposals?

You must have some good pheremones babe!

Work it!

Alijah Fitt said...

Reading tis makes me want to go to the train station and buy a ticket to anywhere and then? It's always easier to step beyond your normal limits when noone knows who you are isn't it? Fifteen proposals!!!!WITWorld did you do to those men?

riversgrace said...

Still laughing over Carrie's G-rating (she told me recently that she'd rather have her skin peeled off than join me for yoga, what to do!) Hahahahahaha. Ok, mine isn't much better. Ashrams and such. But hey, it's never too late, right?! The real, pressing question is: CAN WE COME ALONG?

The Geezers said...

Feeling a little restless, are we? Sounds like it's time for a little adventure wandering again.

By the way...I'm not sure you get to count the greasy fellows in trenchcoats among legitimate marriage proposals....

But yeah, you do got it. Always have, always will.

Deb Shucka said...

I can feel the spring tides pulsing in your blood. You are just getting started, my dear! Anything is possible for you, and anything that you want will happen. What power you possess!