Possibility

“I dwell in possibility”–Emily Dickinson

Possibility. . .
The word rings with magic. This is what possibility feels like for me. What are your possibilities?

Of an early morning when you wake up before the alarm

Before a run when your legs are limber and your lungs are fresh

When someone you have started flirting with calls you on the phone

When stepping into the library to browse for books

The smell of rain as the clouds gather and begin to let out their blessings

The moment when eyes close and voices go quiet at the beginning of communal prayer

When you walk out of a movie theater, reality altered

Running back to the car after a thunderstorm-filled hike

In the middle of chapter three and you are glad there are still 300 more pages

Reciting a favorite poem

Receiving a letter in the mail

The whistle of the tea pot, mug and tea leaves at the ready

When the night truly becomes dark and you can begin to see the stars

Pulling out the bulky wool sweater on the first fall day

Putting the last of the laundry on the line on a sunny afternoon

Car packed, gas tank full, map unfolded

The beginning of a love letter you are going to write, “Dear. . .”

Realizing a solo life is pretty amazing

The last box taped, the last furniture hauled, and the clang of the moving truck door closing

A new set of keys to a home

The dusty box of family mementos, finding a picture of your parents you have never seen

Vegetables assembled on a cutting board with knife, ready to make soup

A bottle of wine and two glasses, anxiously waiting for the second party to arrive

A twirly black dress, red toenails, and a woman feeling beautiful

A baby held in arms, the quiet sigh and sound of sweet slumber

The first whispered “I love you.”

The ping of an instant message from a best friend, halfway around the world

Friday afternoon on an empty playground

A full backpack and hiking boots waiting by the door for the next morning’s adventure

The first bud in the spring

The smell of lilacs

Earthworms emerging after a long wet rain

The first ride without training wheels

When tears turn to laughter

Pulling on cowboy boots, anticipating the two-step

Friends coming to visit

The naked plunge into a cold lake

Staying up all night talking

The hushed goodbye on a conversation you do not want to end

Butterflies in the stomach before a race, a reading

The second grader who hugs you as you say goodbye

The first sour bite of a fall apple, just picked off the tree

The crack of the spine of a new composition notebook

The feeling when time evaporates into a second

The hush when bad news is not as bad as anticipated

The splash after a puddle has been depleted by a big jump

Running until you can run no farther

Getting up from the desk after writing for hours

When someone shares a secret

The first pop of a piece of pink bubble gum

The honk of Canada Geese

The whisper of leaves in an aspen grove

A perfectly sharpened pencil

Scraps of fabric laid out for the beginnings of a quilt

An old juke box in a dive bar

Singing along to a favorite song by your favorite band at a concert

Getting over a crush and feeling joy, not jealousy, at your crush’s new love

Getting back in touch with an old friend

The beginning of a small town parade

The nervousness and risk of pursuing a dream

Planning a vacation itinerary, even when you know you can not afford to go for some time

The first deposit into a savings account

The last payment of a debt

The smell of an old antique store

Watching the sun rise and watching the sun set in the same day

A day and night with no electronic gadgets

The feeling of chopping the last piece of wood and being ready for winter

Kneading dough

Repotting plants in terra cotta pots

Cutting an aloe leaf and soothing a burn

Making someone’s favorite dessert

Fresh bread with melted butter

Getting on the train

Packing a trunk

The shudder of aluminum dropped in a bin for recycling

Giving two weeks’ notice to start a new dream

Chile roasting in fall

When your loved ones are happy

Getting a healthy report from your doctor

Losing 25 pounds

Reaching for and grasping a hand that was reaching for yours

Thinking of all the possibilities

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