“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grownup we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability. To be alive is to be vulnerable.” – Madeleine L’Engle
Do you remember this scene in Winnie the Pooh?
“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. ‘Pooh!’ he whispered.
‘Yes, Piglet?’
‘Nothing’ said Piglet taking Pooh’s paw, ‘I just wanted to be sure of you.'”
Winnie the Poor by A.A. Milne
Of the many sweet things about that exchange, one that I notice is how proximity is so reassuring. The “sure of you” quality of a hug or a hand.
When I wrote the piece about The Window six months ago, our neighbors and my daughter’s first best friend had just moved away. The window had shut and the only thing that I knew for certain was that the reassurance that comes from proximity was no longer going to be there.
Getting to the other side of that grief only comes with time. Now I’ve written The Window Part 2 on the Heart of the Matter blog. It’s part reflection on loss – and part reflection on what comes next…
Surprised By Joy 
What a lovely transition that has come about. Happy for your family.
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Thank you, Rebecca!
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So true Wynne — “To be alive is to be vulnerable.” Time does help, but it’s such a huge leap of faith. Can I trust that this loss, this pain, will go away!!! Love your focus on this topic
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Love your take on this, Brian! A huge leap of faith, indeed! Thanks, my friend!
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I like and appreciate how you bring something different to the same topic and post that appears across two blogs.
The quote from Pooh was a nice one. If only all the friendships we encounter in life are this gentle and sweet.
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Thank you, Ab – what a lovely comment. Yes, if only all friendships were this gentle. Well, maybe that really helps us appreciate the ones that are??
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I remember the original post and am off to read the sequel!
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Oh, how fun to have a four-legged friend to play with! I wonder how many dog treats will be passed through this special door in the months to come?
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Dog treats – great idea, Mary!! 🙂
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