Friday, September 18, 2009
There are some journeys we must make alone.
It is not possible to take everyone with you all the time. Or any variation on that theme.
The heart is a lonely hunter. Laurens van der Post said that. But it's true. The moment of death, the moment of birth, well, it's alone. There may be a midwife or a host mother, but the struggle is so immediate, so daunting, that we are in fact alone. No cajoling, no support, no rah-rahs, are of any use. There is only the task at hand. It hurts. It is scary, and for once, it's not even funny.
There is no choice but to be born. There is no choice but to leave behind the known, and face the unknown.
The heart is a lonely hunter. Laurens van der Post said that. But it's true. The moment of death, the moment of birth, well, it's alone. There may be a midwife or a host mother, but the struggle is so immediate, so daunting, that we are in fact alone. No cajoling, no support, no rah-rahs, are of any use. There is only the task at hand. It hurts. It is scary, and for once, it's not even funny.
There is no choice but to be born. There is no choice but to leave behind the known, and face the unknown.
