Sunrise, Sunset

I am sorry my posts have been so erratic this week, it has been such a busy time with so much going on. The house is quiet tonight for now. Str8roomie and Tattoo are both with their significant others and Gal Pal and her Boy Toy have left, so now I finally have some time to gather my thoughts on the week. It started with the Winter Storm and then the storm in Tattoo's life, then the snow, and finally the rain. Tattoo's Pretty1 has been a real blessing this week in that she has pretty much kept Tattoo on an even keel and not tossing back and forth on the sea. She brought groceries over last night which was really sweet of her. She also brought a new furniture item for the front room which I really like. It was unexpected but welcome, and I thank you Pretty1, for everything.

Today was the viewing for Tattoos Grandfather and tomorrow is the funeral. He has been such a stoic about all this, of course I have not been around him enough to see him cry as Pretty1 has mostly occupied him, which is a good thing. I expect tomorrow will be very hard on him, so I am prepared for perhaps some erratic behavior or just a big crying jag, or maybe more stoicism. Sometimes young men bottle it all up until burst like the levees in New Orleans during Katrina. I just have to be prepared no matter what. We will wait and see what happens tomorrow.

It is a time of endings and beginnings, sunrises and sunsets, and the voyage continues. I am not at all certain of the destination or even the course we must take. I am looking to the heavens for celestial guidance so I can adjust the heading. The compass has been spinning like were are in the Bermuda Triangle, with events pulling us in all directions. The seas have been high and pounding the ship. The wind off the port quarter is threatening to rend the mainsail, so I have set the stay sails fore and aft to relieve the pressure and reefed the main. Whether I have done enough to weather the storm remains to be seen. It is my turn at the wheel, so I must hold the ship on a steady course until the stars appear again to give me guidance. I have not been able to take the noon sight on the sun as the clouds have continually obscured our view of it. Like most Captains, I have to stand on the quarterdeck as if unfazed by the events swirling about the deck. Pretending the rain does not bother me as I pace and pace. My mind is unsettled, but my face remains placid to the world. I can not let them see me sweat, for they may falter if I do. So I keep my own counsel and give aid and comfort to the crew so that their needs are met and they are not unduly burdened by the storm.

I see the lighthouse above the rocks but am unsure how far the shoals extend as the chart was carried away by the wind. We are headed for port seeking safe anchorage beyond the headlands. I just hope the natives are not restless so we can resupply, refit, and recharge. A little beach time probably would not hurt, but first things first as the ship and the crew must be put to rights before the Captain can go ashore. That is the life of a sailor, the ship must always come first for it is your lifeline. I am not ready to succumb to Davey Jones just yet, so I must ensure we hit no rocks or ground ourselves on the shoals, and for sure I do not want to miss the inlet to the bay. Peaceful water awaits just beyond the headlands if we just shoot the gap with the incoming tide and glide to our anchorage. I cannot miscalculate as the gap is nearly impossible to navigate when the tide is ebbing. I wish the moon was out so that I could see my way more clearly. At least there is no fog.

The days ahead will come to pass whether I want them to or not. I want to be prepared but fear I am not. I want to lead, but sometimes I need to follow. I cannot control the actions, just my reaction to them. I hope I am the man I think I am, I hope I show no fear, doubt or confusion. I pray that I will be shown the way. I hope my step does not falter and my charges go astray. I want for them the best, no matter what the cost, only when they are safely ashore will I know they are not lost.

Now the dawn is breaking, the sun has come at last. Once more we have arrived at this teeming shore. What adventures do await us, what troubles will assail. How can I know this, I am but a simple male. Come along and join us, linger not behind. We journey to our destiny wherever that may be, making friends along the way. We wander through the seas, we wonder if you please. Grant us the wisdom, the patience and the grace. Lead us on to our safe place.

The answers are never black and white, always shades of gray. The storms never come during the day, they come upon us like a thief in the night. One day at a time , one life we touch. One soul we do not abandon, one heart we help mend. One ripple in the pond, new waves upon the shore. We cannot know, nor should we try, how our lives may affect another, we must be everybody's brother. Our duty has made the call, we must not let them fall. The Captain must stand tall, we dare not drop the ball. Join us on our journey, travel with us a while. See where life takes us, catch us when we fall. Love us in the morning, continue as night falls. Keep us in your heart, from our side do not depart, for this is just a start.

The sun is now a setting, our rest we must be getting. Tomorrow is coming, we cannot stop it now. Even if I could, I would not know how. Think of us as fellow travelers far from the shore, together on our journey, returning home once more.

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