A Good Stretch

I’ve been stretching lately.  Not only a morning yoga routine to get my mind and muscles moving, but also stretching conversations, comfort zones…asking the hard questions.  Safer to stick to the generally prescribed conversation topics, I’ve recently veered from comfortable into honest and what emerged on the other side was nothing short of delightful. 

An unexpected date night with Tim produced the generic topics of children, but once depleted, the quiet settled.  Not satisfied with the quiet, the questions came…then another and another. A healthy balance of listening, commenting, and contributing turned historically triggered and guarded conversations into a better, healthier version. It was

exactly what we both needed.  Soon enough, the babes will depart to build their own lives and we’ll return to us.  After years of kid-focused living, that could be a little awkward…I’m thrilled to find these bread crumbs back to the beginning. 

Then again, over a decadent dinner with a dear friend, conversation freely flowed.  Often easy to take friends for granted, I stretched to carve out a little time to lavish, to absorb, to celebrate.  I stretched again with honest conversation…the easy path would be to simply agree, yet conversations lead to unexpected places with each fresh perspective.   No false airs, no expectation, no end game, easy conversation, laughter leading to insight, honesty. Dreams, goals, worries, revelations, histories, all things worthy to share with a good friend. All things layering into a better version of me and a healthier definition of friendship. 

Great things lay on the other side of a good stretch.