Retreat

“In order to understand the world, one has to turn away from it on occasion."

[The Minotaur]” ― Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus and Other Essays

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Shu the cat, the tiny calico she demon

Has the number of Finn the dog, large wussy dog

It is clear they have met in dark alleys

And it is equally clear that Finn has felt the sting of Shu’s claws

Finn will still cavort, jumping and diving around Shu, enticing her to play

But Finn is no fool

And he knows when to stop

Indeed, he has launched his 70 plus pounds toward the door

On his way out

Only to meet Shu, one her way in

You have never seen a dog stop so quickly

There are times to dive into the fray

But there are also times to pull away

Retreat is not a bad word

It does not reflect weakness...

Sometimes it is merely a recognition on one’s limits, and it is time for re-creation.

Sometimes it is a way to admit that one has lost one’s way, and it is time to evaluate

Sometimes it is simply a matter of running into a wall, and needing to find another road towards the same destination.

And sometimes it is because who we are, in the middle of the fray

Is not who we want to be

Sometimes we need to retreat not because we are losing, or lost, or stuck

But because we are becoming whom we do not want to be

And we must retreat

To find the Sacred

To find the Sacred within us

To find ourselves

“Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile.” (Thich Nhat Hanh)