Sometimes, we find ourselves between lives…between the known and the unknown…a place where one world is burning and the other is uncertain. And, sometimes, the only way to escape the world that is burning is to cross a bridge toward another world…a bridge that has no guarantee of being stable and no guarantee of leading you to something familiar.
We find ourselves upon that bridge between the known and the unknown. The flames of change are nipping at our backs while uncertainty awaits us. How do we guarantee our survival and safety? How do we let go of the customs and routines that have kept us safe fully trusting that there are new customs and routines waiting to do the same?
Part of us might want to go back to the world under fire and the world that was tried and true fully knowing deep down that to do so would subject us to pain and discomfort. Another part of us might be up for the adventure of a new challenge. Yet another part of us might long for things to just stay the same while hoping that things will improve. Regardless, we find ourselves on a bridge suspended between worlds and time.
What lies beneath a bridge? What expanse does a bridge cross without our even knowing the depth and breadth of that which it crosses? A bridge may cover an expanse that crosses thousands of years of history buried within the rock layers of time. A bridge may cross waters that have traveled miles and years from an underground source. A bridge may traverse a simple expanse saving time and effort while providing safe passage for moving toward a new destination. Crossing a bridge entails navigating history and spanning the evidence of the passage of time.
The concept of a bridge is one of connection…a connection that traverses air, time and space…a connection between worlds. Today we find ourselves on a bridge connecting two moments in time spanning eras that seem far apart but in essence are part of a continuum. A bridge is a part of that continuum and a necessary navigation point in the movement forward. Step by step, bridges are traversed until the journey finds its completion on another side. It is important to remind ourselves that the path toward change and evolution is a pilgrimage paved with bumps and rocky awakenings while at the same time pregnant with opportunity and wonder.
Some bridges are more solid and easier to cross with spectacular views. Some bridges are simply constructed of a single log or ropes spanning raging rivers requiring attention and courage to navigate. It takes courage to face the unknown and to put one foot in front of another to begin the journey to another reality especially when safe passage is questioned. Crossing bridges can also require guidance and support to be encouraged across a chasm of change.
Folklore tells tales of troll maidens who are considered wise women, guides, warriors or witches and who frequent bridges because of their familiarity with transitioning between worlds. These maidens are known to be keepers of dreams, home and hearth. The bridges they occupy symbolize our dreams of a new tomorrow and a new way of living in a world that is transforming. Know that guidance on a journey across a bridge is available. Call on it to assist you in times of uncertainty and when a reminder of the possibilities which a new reality holds on the other side of a bridge is needed. There is no reason to feel alone.
Part of leaving an old world behind is leaving the beliefs and outdated thinking that will no longer serve us on our journey.This calls for courage, patience and compassion.We are all walking a bridge to a new world.Some are further along their journey while others have just started walking.But, the journey is common to all of us in that we are being called to look ahead and continue forward as we are suspended between realities.