Juggling is more than a talent — it’s a highly-practiced skill

My life is up in the air.

Honestly, on most days it feels like I’m juggling a dozen plates while dancing backward on roller skates.

Schedules, deadlines, writing projects, zoom calls, household tasks, unfinished errands, an endless traffic jam of email and unanswered phone calls — all yapping puppies nipping at my heels. Not to mention paying the bills, planning healthy meals, tending the garden, kissing my husband, and feeding my soul.

All of life’s necessities and diversions circling in front of me, swiftly shifting from hand-to-hand while I pray everything maintains momentum and flow. And in the chaos, I whisper a desperate plea to the universe for guidance in keeping my balance until the swirling dervish eventually quiets down and I can take a deep breathe.

But in truth, the stillness rarely arrives. And if I think about it, maybe that’s the point — and the purpose. Because if everything stalled and came to rest, what would I do with all my time and energy?

My hands would sit idle, twitching for another plate. My brain — left to its own thoughts — would question my very existence. My feet would start tingling, aching for a smooth surface to glide upon. And unable to restrain myself from engaging in the complexities of life, the circus act would begin again.

There comes a time when we must recognize the truth of our own personal reality. And for me, that reality is a continuing stream of connection with a deftly-woven circle of circumstances, people, and effects — the one I chose, designed, and accepted.

Granted, the occasional plate will crash to the ground and shatter into a thousand pieces. And from time-to-time I’ll roll across a gravely patch of ground and struggle to keep myself upright.

But if I’m lucky, the universe will provide me with the patience and skill I need to keep myself afloat for another day. Because if I’m left with an empty slot in the twirling circle of life, or a broken, wobbly wheel beneath my feet, the whole dynamic of my current existence will falter.

And then I’ll have to make the decision whether to stop and clean up the mess, or find another place to skate.

In health and happiness,

Jill Reid

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