The road back

The road back begins with finding the right pen to write these words. Too fat. Too thin. Running out of ink. Is this a journey I am resisting, or is it a version of needing the right vehicle for the road ahead?

Tomorrow, I am on the road back to flying on airplanes. Seeing family. Seeing friends. Celebrating two birthdays. Giving hugs. Seeing more faces, as we slowly take off the masks we've worn over the last two years.

The road back feels uncertain, littered with twists and turns, unseen rocks in the path. Big yellow signs saying "GO BACK." It feels like a board game where you roll the dice, draw a card, maybe take two steps forward or maybe get sent right back to where you started... poorer by a few dollars or having dropped your water bottle somewhere along the way. Some childhood memory tickles: Is it a Candy Land slide? The game of Life?

Whatever the metaphor, the road back is one we must walk. Slowly, tentatively, maybe gaining surer footing along the way. It feels lonely, but I hope I won't be alone. At least not all the time. __