The past is like a puddle in the street after an April rain shower. On the surface, the street has been washed clean from the grit and grime of winter. But there, near the edge of the pavement, a puddle of water stands dark and murky. Cold and uninviting, it’s difficult to tell just how deep the water is. Especially here in Minnesota where potholes develop during March and April. The sun melts the frozen pavement and the ice that formed in all the cracks and crevices during the bitterly cold months of the year. As cars pass over the weakened asphalt or concrete, the material loosens and soon a hole opens.
So with that literal explanation of potholes, our past actions, behaviors and the lives we chose to lead can leave similar potholes in our lives and even on those who are close to us. Some are mere dimples, barely noticeable. Others are major divets that require care and attention if we ever hope to heal the damage. It’s up to us, really, to repair or ignore the problems our pasts created.
Time may help to heal the wounds and the angst we left in our wake, but with a little careful attention, we can lend time an assist, speed the recovery and move on more productively.
It’s what we do with who we are today that helps lessen the powerful minutes, hours and days of the past which continue to dampen the edges of our now.
Photo credit: “Light in the puddle” by Thomas Milne
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Land of 10,000 Perspectives 