Going Home

That is the title of today's positive quotation in the little book I've come to love.  "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered." ~Nelson Mandela  And I can't help it...I took a sneak peak at tomorrow's words of wisdom.  They matter to me and are relevant to the thoughts I'm thinking today.  "Ever tried.  Ever failed.  No matter. Try again.  Fail again.  Fail better."  ~Samuel Beckett  The key is to fail better, to not repeat our same mistakes but to learn and grow from them...and then move on.  That is my wish for me today.  That is my wish for you as well. 

I suppose my weekend was an illustration of Mandela's words.  The block of time spent together as a family of five was a diversion from our routine of recent weeks.  McKenzie has left our home in pursuit of higher education, and we had not all been together since her departure...  I question how many times I have left our home ~ detaching myself in pursuit of personal interests.  There is no way to ascertain a truthful answer.  It has happened often.  Regardless, each time I wander, I return enlightened from the journey.  I can only hope the revelations encompass a bit of wisdom.  How many metamorphoses can one person possibly undergo?

“The butterfly's attractiveness derives not only from colors and symmetry: deeper motives contribute to it. We would not think them so beautiful if they did not fly, or if they flew straight and briskly like bees, or if they stung, or above all if they did not enact the perturbing mystery of metamorphosis: the latter assumes in our eyes the value of a badly decoded message, a symbol, a sign.” ~Primo Levi

As I looked back over the photos taken during the weekend jaunt, I came across a quote that is displayed in the Missouri History Museum at Forest Park.  It has certainly found its appropriate place, displayed at both the entrance and exit of the exhibit hall.  It also provides an adequate metaphor for the road I find myself traveling ~ to come full circle, and to begin again with new eyes.

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time

~T.S. Eliot

What I know for sure is that good friends text you in the wee hours when they discover you're awake.  Thank you, Jenny.  And good friends give you a "high five" when the song playing in your head makes you doubt your smile.  Thank you too, Cadie.  Today turned out to be a good day to move forward, and barring any rain, this evening will provide a perfect backdrop in which to enjoy a soccer game...or two.