Time does fly by.
It’s now over two decades living here in this part of Yorkshire. Those twenty odd years have added shedloads of wear and tear to me but I’m not the only thing looking increasingly weathered.
When we first moved here, the back lane was almost pristine. As I walked it today I noticed cracks, lots of cracks. Cracks all along its two miles.
I can vaguely recall some of the plans and thoughts we had for the future. Being here for that length of time wasn’t in the plans. But then again we envisioned a much smoother road ahead. The reality was way different, way more difficult. For long periods that road was a nightmare. I really don’t think that I would recognise the guy I was back then. Not only am I more weathered, I’m definitely changed as a person, some might say, cracked. How often the road we take does that to us.
As cracked as that road is I suspect it can still be repaired at least superficially way easier than I can.
A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. 
A cracked road as a metaphor for what life throws at us–I like it. It also reminds me of the Leonard Cohen line, “there is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” Weathered and changed? Probably, and also probably wiser and more resilient for the travails.
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I love that from Leonard
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Madeline in the comment above said it best with the Cohen quote. I’m very sorry you are feeling this way, Gary. But you are sharing so much light with us through your writing and I hope you allow that same light back at you too.
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thanks my friend ❤️
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Guess I’m thinking a long the same lines. The journey was by no means easy, and it was definitely costly in ways money can never cover. But, do we really want to be “repaired?” 😊❤️
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maybe just touched up a bit here and there in my case 😂
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that is a great metaphor, Garry! I hope you feel a little bit lighter after sharing this. X
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I do ❤️
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I think so many of us feel well weathered. Cracks running along our roads feels a little on point…but also very true. 💛
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sadly reading your post, some can’t even see the roads. Take care ❤️
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Cracked by life is relatable.
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feel more cracked today
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I have heard that life immitates art. I wonder how much of it is true.
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probably very true
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I feel this. ❤️❤️
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❤️❤️❤️
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Such a sad metaphor
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Definitely made me think about some life issues
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We do change with the challenges life throws at us.
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hopefully for the better
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Yes, we take what we need from life lessons
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I like to think repaired isn’t the right word because we’re never fully recovered or patched after trauma right and I think that’s okay. Sometimes the beaten path is the most beautiful. So let nature do it’s job and make the broken things breathe again
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yes breathe again
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Our roads are full of pot-holes. Periodically a half-hearted attempt is made at repairs. However if you happen to come upon a good bit of road you can be sure it’s where rich folk live.
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our road repairs are the same, they last weeks sometimes before the holes reappear
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Cracks are bound to be, but try not to fall. Such is life and the world too.
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it is life
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I don’t classify myself as old, officially maybe not either, but I’ve started to ponder doing that Swedish Death Cleaning thing, because I cannot see my kids sorting my stuff and being happy about it. Plus, I keep getting the “Where is… ” and “I need to look for”
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if I did that I better not start on my vinyl, take me decades to sort through that. 😂
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When I stand back and look at who I am today, it has been those moments, those weathering moments that have caused me to strengthen. Not always easy, but, can be enormously fortifying!
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that’s the hope, it really is.
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Sometimes those cracks can bring out what we need to move forward. Hugs!
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so true ❤️
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Hugs❤️
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Reminds me of the Japanese art of repairing pottery by filling in cracks with gold, honoring resilience and seeing beauty in the surviving. You are a beautiful survivor!
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