guardrails & guides

I need guardrails. The kind that keep me out of a ditch and on the road of life. They are my signaling system to warn me if I am meandering down the wrong path and headed into a danger zone.

I have many guardrails. They are the daily rituals that help keep me sane and centered, focused and fulfilled.
My daily writing practice is one of those rituals. It has been several days since I last posted, thanks to a lack of internet access {I am in a remote location} and a self-indulgent hallpass to stay at home and be with my family instead of venturing out to seek a signal like an addict scouring for whatever feeds her vice. It felt good to let go, but I also missed my writing. Sure, I could have written on paper and posted it later {now that I think about it!} , but there is something about routine, when ritualized, that turns it into a sacred ceremony.

It is holy and feeds me wholly.

Meditation is another one of my daily rituals that acts as both guardrail and guide. I haven't mastered more than ten minutes at a time. I know the real gem of the practice is just showing up- getting on the cushion. It keeps me on track and offers me words of wisdom- a wise guide whispering in my ear.

I missed my practices and I can feel the longing. I can also feel the tension simmering just below the surface knowing I am leaving this warm haven of ocean blue gulf of mexico paradise to head back home to lots of work. I am going to take some of this sunshine back home to remind me that this is really why life matters most.




copyright 2009 Alisa Barry