the illusion of permanence

...life is about changes. There is no standing still, only movement. What feels permanent is itself dynamic, always in the process of ending so that a new moment can begin. —Tom Ehrich

"make this life in community permanent"
Yikes... did I actually say that? Out loud? In writing?
Hmmm... yes, I guess I did.

But reading Tom's commentary this morning has also reminded me that no amount of planning, imagination, determination, faith or wishful thinking can make things stay the same if they're going great, or speed their passing if they're going badly. Everything changes and life always moves on.

My friend Pat often speaks of life as a dance. It's a great analogy. Sometimes it's a square dance and we have a lot of interchanging partners. Sometimes it's a waltz and our partner steps on our toes. Sometimes the dance is a solo endeavor, and one of the joys in that is you can just sit down when you get tired. I like to dance but I get tired a lot.