Leave-taking

A reminder on the sidewalk in the summertime.
(The marvelous Jenanne took this photo.)

In a memoir called Widening Circles, Joanna Macy made this observation about the process of leaving a place where she had lived for many years:

It took courage and a strong love of life to stand in that river of being and not try to dam it or seal it up. Years before, when we were leaving Munich, I used a private little hand gesture to help me with the sadness of leaving – an opening and spreading of the fingers, as if letting water run through. I could almost feel it. I could almost see it sparkling as it trickled and splashed through my hand in its constant leave-taking. When you try to contain the water and keep it "yours," it goes stagnant.
– Joanna Macy, from Widening Circles

These ideas about mindful leave-taking have been resonating with me this week.