Bridges

My boat strikes something deep.
At first the sounds of silence, waves.

 
Nothing has happened;
Or perhaps everything has happened
And I am sitting in my new life.
                                         —Rumi

Mostly every year of my life, I have crossed the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean.  The bridge is one of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World and over 61,000 people per day make their way across it.

My first trips across this magnificent bridge were as a baby, laying on the back seat of the car, as was the custom: no seat belt, no car seat.Later, as a little girl, I was mesmerized as we drove the 4.3 miles across it, rising 1,500 feet above the dazzling Chesapeake Bay.

The purpose of these crossings was always the same: for our family to  leave our hometown of Baltimore, and go to our favorite beach town—Ocean City, Maryland.

The drive across the bridge on the way always inspired palpable feelings of leaving one place and going to another: physically, emotionally and spiritually. Returning home, we were not the same people as those who had earlier crossed the bridge.

In our lives, some bridge crossings will return us home, yet changed. Other times we may traverse one bridge and then another and another, inspiring more and more transformation. We may choose not to return to our original destination (or selves).  The key to any transformation is choosing a destination, making the journey, and using inner awareness as our trusted GPS.

Transformation is always awaiting—and intentional transformation elevates us to great heights, new experiences, and fulfillment.

May your bridges lead to the destinations of your heart's desire, and may your journey be blessed.