Life in Chapters
Viewing things from my age, I’ve realized that Life occurs in chapters. And the further I meander away from a chapter, or when a new one begins, I am more able to give my chapters distinct names.
Of course there were the childhood, youth and teenage years, etc. But now I see the smaller chapters that came in adulthood, such as “The French Years”, when I was devoted to adding Joie de Vivre, pleasure-seeking and farmer’s markets into my life. Also, the “The Season of Ann”, the time I toiled day after day with my loyal and funny co-worker Ann. Together, we made a ridiculous job more palatable and I will never forget her.
“The Spell of Vicki” were the years I spent (before she moved far away) with my charming friend Vicki, learning new ways of being including how I dressed and presented myself while living in a big city for the first time. The long protracted period when I first discovered a pivotal book that changed my life forever, I now call “The Era of Abundance” which showed me how to see life as abundant no matter what my income and not just filled with deprivation. I still draw on that chapter from the late 1990’s when this book I loved made its appearance and made me feel as though I landed on Oz with its bright technicolor. As well, “My Winter Baby” chapter forever lives in my heart.
I suppose I could use one heading for several intense and heartbreaking chapters. “The Sad Seasons” were the Christmas Mom died and the painful time of my divorce. But there were smaller tragic chapters too when I thought I wanted something I just couldn’t have no matter how hard I tried – a promotion, a certain home, the end of a friendship, etc.
Our chapters remind us that something intriguing and different may be just around the bend. A new passion, a new friend, a new group to belong to can give us fresh exciting seasons to live in. Like the animal associations of the zodiac, our chapters can transform every Lunar New Year when we make a big commitment to change something or become something. “The Year of the Tiger” would be the perfect name for such a time.
But my chapters come to me in hindsight when I think back to different times when life was experienced wide-awake and fiercely. I didn’t even realize I was living a new chapter until it morphed into something else. But what’s important is that seasons change and the pages turn on our chapters too. Although sometimes we are relegated to a restless in-between place when old chapters have ended and new ones have not yet begun. I’m feeling this now and even though I can’t yet see the other shore, I know that right this minute, a pen is poised over my next chapter.
PS: One of my favorite chapters, “The Golden Summers”, will be part of a future seasonal post.
5 Comments
Beth Lyman Dezabala
I needed these stories. Thank you so much for sharing.
Lainey
Thank you so much for the timely reminder to dig out my own copy of Simple Abundance and pop it beside my bed for a daily read. It’s been a particularly trying start to the year and I could do with its gentle nudge to look for the joy in every day life.
Marline
Dear Donna,
This is so insightful and so beautifully written! When I was exiting one very painful and humbling chapter of my life, a very wise Parisian woman told me I needed to pick up the pen and turn the page and start writing my next chapter. Being somewhat of a literalist, I went to eBay and found the most beautiful vintage Parker pen and a lovely fresh journal I could so I could start writing.
Lately, I have been in one of the more exhilarating chapters of my life–full of joy and delight and romance! This comes after several nailbiting life chapters where I couldn’t tell if my story was going to be a comedy or a tragedy. But, as all things do, the pages were turned, and I was able to discover I was in a beautiful love story.
Now, I have to say, this love story turns out to be one I am writing. Because I am a novelist, these days I’ve been literally writing chapters and chapters and chapters of a new book, so your visuals in this meaningful essay are ringing true to me.
Isn’t it comforting to know that God is the ultimate author of our lives? And that as we walk through these different chapters, we can know nothing is random and everything is eventually woven together in a wonderous story–the story of our lives under His loving care!
Thank you again for sharing these thoughts, they are so beautiful and so true.
Karen
I had the book “Simple Abundance” too and read it and was inspired by it almost daily for years, and then off and on for many more. I’m like you, Donna. I’m poised between chapters, almost stepping out of an ugly chapter but then lollygagging back in (It’s the 3 steps forward, 2 steps back dance). I know I’m almost out because I can feel the sunshine and the warm breeze on my face some days, even though my tail (☺️) is still a little too far behind me to completely close the door. I don’t know what’s next either but I like your visual of a pen being poised over the next chapter once I turn the page. Thank you for this post. xo karen.
Tracy
Donna I think I had or have the abundance book you are referencing. I gifted one to my neice. Really inspiring.
Boy do I want to leave this chapter of life but my feeling is it’s happening for a reason and a season.
Thanks for another great post.