BROKEN BUT NOT SHATTERED

Have you ever needed something

And never knew it

Until you got it?

We both parked at the same time

We both got out of our cars at the same time

We both walked up towards the building at the same time

I hadn’t seen her in years

 .          .          .I didn’t even know she still was with the agency

And  THERE  she  was.          .          .

Tearful,

Heart-heavy-burdened down

Not just with her computer and nursing bag

Wheeling behind her

Tears

We stopped and hugged

Right there in a middle of

A        M O M E N T

There she was

There I was

Unplanned

Unscripted

Yet perfectly scene’d

In a backdrop of a cloudy sky

That dropped over the Lake

B R U I S E D

B E A T EN

From a storm

Far away

And yet not quite here,

Y        e        t

And the Best news of all—

S           H           E           L           T           E           R

Secured

Safe

Comforting

Assuring

Was in place

And like most times—

Not just seen

Not just recognized

Not just experienced

Until the most absolute

m        o        m        e        n        t

Looking back.          .          .

R e f l e c t I n g

(without a mirror)

I’m   a   little   offended   now

G a l l e d

That she felt/believed

I  was  actually  there  for  her.     .     .

For  her  vulnerability

For  her  tears

For her undressed,

fully naked,

stripped down,

Exposed honesty

And truth.   . .

Which SHOWED ME

What  I  so-

All-the-time-behind-the-curtain-triple-locked-door-of-my-heart

Never-always-so-guarded-very-afraid-FEAR-to-show

.         .         .W  H O was there for W H O.         .         .

At this early

So very CHANCE

(NOT-AN-ACCIDENT)

Maybe-to-never-happen-again-ever-the-same-way-

M      O      M      E      N      T ?

Me for her?

Her for me?

The simple answer is a resounding

Y                 E                 S

As we hugged

Right there

Right then

I realized that what’s Broken

Seldom  is  S H A T T E R E D.         .         .

That often

Maybe more usual than we notice

We get tired

We get disappointed

We’re disillusioned

That

Caring

Compassion

Loving

Giving

Sharing

Accepting

Forgiving

Will get you hurt

.        .       .hurt really bad

Make you wounded

Get you bloodied

E M P T I E D

D E P L E T E D

E X H A U S T E D

.         .         .it’s a paycheck

Not deposited

When needed/expected

An Emotional Withdrawal

That can only be replenished with:

G O      F I G U R E :

Caring

Compassion

Loving

Giving

Sharing

Accepting

Forgiving

Hey.       .       .

Have   you   ever   needed   something

And   never   knew   it   until

You   G O T   I T ?

G E T   I T

and oh my.          .          .

how the clouds part