Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

It is a beautiful day today, and I walked with a friend in a public park twenty minutes away that I'd never visited before. It was along the water, had great playgrounds for kids, and a spaciousness that was relaxing. We wore masks and distanced, but could step out of the way and not feel surrounded by people. We had a lively discussion, but without problem solving or attempting to fix anything. I listened to her, she listened to me. That's all I want right now. Complexity is a given, as is powerlessness about most struggles in our lives. We do talk about getting older and what it means, but without any grand plan, because, as they say, man plans and God laughs. We agreed that what we prized now in a friend is heart. Not personality, intellect, accomplishments, power, or prestige. Just heart. Because none of those other things will matter to us in the end. Heart connection is what we wish for. All the rest, well, it dissolves before our eyes. Each being is equally important, and the beings with whom we connect become our companions on our journey. We never lose them, because they dwell inside us.