Empty

It is hard to forget, I said, when there is such an empty space when you are gone.”

― Brian Andreas, Story People: Selected Stories & Drawings of Brian Andreas

“There’s just something obvious about emptiness, even when you try to convince yourself otherwise. ”

― Sarah Dessen, Lock and Key

“…and you drink a little too much and try a little too hard. And you go home to a cold bed and think, ‘That was fine’. And your life is a long line of fine.”

― Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl

“You must know nothing before you can learn something, and be empty before you can be filled. 

― Lloyd Alexander, The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen

“Aim for the sky, but move slowly, enjoying every step along the way. It is all those little steps, that makes the journey complete.”

Chanda Kochhar

The days are fine. A long line of fine. Monday’s was blue. Tuesday and Wednesday’s skies were empty. Thursday was overcast. Friday’s sky was still empty. The blue abyss made me ponder on what I am searching for in the emptiness of the blue. The sky inspires me in many ways. The sky suggests optimism, dreaming, peace. I suppose I look up to the sky in search of a better place. Maybe this will make me feel inspired to march towards my goals and dreams of success while wide awake?

In the blue emptiness of the virgin sky all things are possible. It’s a promise for new undertakings and represents the current blank slate given to my life to craft my future life story. Even during the bleak times, the sky provides reason for hope.

I needed a touch of inspiration to learn something from my Friday past. And then it appeared silently between break duty and screening and streaming and coffee breaks and e-mails and marking: a lonely cloud formed from the burning of something down on the ground…. my artificial Friday cloud.

Every day’s ashes can form beautiful clouds.

As I look into the beautiful young face of my young, lively student I have an epiphany: the journey to that beautiful cloud in my blue empty sky is here: on this Friday and every day before and hereafter. The long line of fine IS the beauty! The smiles and jokes and words and silences of those I share my life with is what fill my empty sky with joyful clouds that rise from the ashes of everyday life. The journey is the dream, and I should let go of the dream and rather enjoy every small step of every day’s blue abyss, for the fires that burn around and in us are what cause those beautiful clouds.

The skies are part of me and you and us.

We are the clouds.

Just take one step at a time and start looking up.