Cracks and tears

Thinking about many of my previous posts, which I admit have had somewhat of a theme of things not being perfect, I'm reminded of one of my favorite quotes.  From Leonard Cohen: "There is a crack, a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in."

One of my favorite shows when I was a teenager (ahem, well, it's still kind of one of my favorite shows...) was Felicity.  I remember an episode where Felicity's older, wiser letter-writing friend back in California wrote her a letter saying that after something bad happens in one part of our lives we tend to start seeing cracks in everything else.  And I think this is pretty true based on my experience.  When we're disappointed or hurt we get a little bit cynical, at least for awhile, until we can find a way to sew the tear back up and learn to live with the seam.  Sometimes, in the midst of this whole process, we begin to see Leonard Cohen's light and it gives us an appreciation of life.  It's not the pure and sweet kind of appreciation, like when we are struck by the beauty of a sunrise, though watching a sunrise can bring out this kind of appreciation.  It's born of sadness, and sometimes anger or fear, but when it awakens it's strong and lasting and above all, freeing.  To have survived something you deem big is to walk on bravely, until the next thing.  A walk along the wooded path with no cracks between the trees would make for a dark and lonely journey.