The Parallel

"Grandmother, why don't I feel?"

"Child, it is because you feel too much."

"But grandmother, I want to be like them."

"No, child. You can't. You are you and they are they. Never the twain."

"Why not, grandmother? Why won't the twains meet?"

"They are parallels child, and parallels do not meet. The lines you see meeting in the distance is illusion. Like all things."

"But why am I on this parallel, grandmother?

"This was the choice you made before the lines were lain down, love. All had their choices. Many chose the other parallel."

"Are there more on my parallel, grandmother? Am I alone?

"You are never alone, child. There are others on your parallel."

"How will I know them, grandmother?"

"By their hands reaching back to support you, child, and by those who grasp the hand you reach back to guide."

"Will I feel then, grandmother?"

"Will you let yourself, child?"

Gratitude Monday --Thyme For Everything Edition

Yesterday I put a pot of stew on the stove over the noon hour to give it plenty of time to simmer and gather before our dinner.
As the black tea steeped its 20 minutes so it would properly tenderize the meat, and the cubed meat itself sizzled in its mission to brown, I mixed my spices.
There are a few that go in it notably paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, and the thyme we grew ourselves in a patch in the front yard that has been going strong for more than 20 years.
As I mixed them  together I threw in a generous amount of thyme. It goes well with meat, I discovered, and it is difficult to have too much thyme. As I thought about it, I realized I use thyme in almost every savoury dish I prepare.
"There's thyme for everything, " I said to myself as I stirred in the tea and then added a frozen tomato to the pot.

This made me think and what I though about was the spice's homophone, time.
Is there really time for everything?
Yes, I believe there is.
Granted, life gets in the way all the time. Matters rear up and have to be dealt with before we can get to the things we want to and eventually those some of those wanted things get shifted to the back burner to simmer like the stew or are relegated to a back cupboard in the mind. There they rest and bide their time until we find them when we're looking for something else. But we don't forget them, because they are things we want to do and we always think there will be time.

I have managed to do most of the things I have wanted to and for that I am grateful. But I know not everyone can, because most of us let life get in the way and then use lack of time as an excuse.
I recall once a few years ago a friend came to town for a few days, but did not find the time to contact me.
The reason offered later was there was there had been no time, and I accepted this. It had been a busy time and being busy takes energy, but time was not the reason.

We can feel overwhelmed, and often do, and we hide behind that as an excuse to not live as we choose, play as we choose, rest as we choose.

There is time for everything if we really want it, because time is all we have.