encounters.........

top of haunted lighthouse,
Ward's Island, Toronto

I love watching jets flying overhead leaving their slipstreaming message
wondering where the people are headed
wondering if it's a trip of a lifetime or something more dutifully business
are they excited?

I love finding old structures abandoned by their keepers and whose walls hold stories
wondering what happened to the people who once congregated
wondering where life took them and whether their legacy has somehow lived on
were they satisfied?

I love walking past groups in parks who are taking a moment to share a meal
wondering how they are connected to one another, whether they feel that they truly belong.
wondering how their life stories are playing out.
are they content?

I love catching a glimpse of two people obliviously entwined in new whispers
wondering how they met and how long they have felt such tenderness
wondering if their lives will live up to their dreams of together
are they in love?

I love seeing a person sitting quietly on a bench, head tilted down focused on a book
wondering what they are reading in solitary comfort
wondering if they feel pressure to slip their novel into their bag to rejoin the rest
are they grateful?

We pass by so many people in the course of the day,
all of whom have unique stories,
thoughts and beliefs.........
thumbprints
connected to how they feel
and to how they view their life.

Last night as we approached the waiting area in the airport that was set aside for the flight to Fredericton, I spotted a woman who spotted me at the same time. Well, actually she spotted my Tim Horton's coffee cup (filled with tea of course since I only like the smell of coffee and not the taste) and commented on her desire to have a typically Canadian Tim's coffee, but would wait until she got home so she could enjoy a smoke with it. Within no time, we were swapping stories. This is a truly typical occurance when one is approaching the waiting area of a flight to anywhere in the Maritimes because there is a lack of pretentiousness and a sense of kinship I rarely find when I'm travelling anyplace else. Maritimers, especially if they know you're one as well, are open books. Even my daughter is aware of this, as she automatically commented that the woman must be from the east coast.

This woman was returning home from a 3 week holiday in Honduras with her husband who was on furlough from Afghanistan. They said their goodbyes in New York City, she returning to their home near Base Gagetown, and he to Kandahar for another 2 months. She shared some pictures of swimming with the dolphins as she talked about how wonderful it was to be in a place nestled on a beautiful beach away from technology and telephones, away from the realities of the dangers her husband faces. Afraid of what may happen, alone in a relatively new part of the country for her without daily contact with her family and friends, she was happy to share some of her story with me as we waited to board the plane.

After the flight landed, she approached me to offer my family a ride home which I declined because we were heading in opposite directions from the airport, and I passed her my email address and names of friends who live near her, who are also connected to the military and who would always welcome her for a friendly cup of coffee. I encouraged her to seek them out...........and to seek me out if she ever finds herself downtown and would like to join me in line at Tim Horton's.

Today, I thought about this woman a couple of times, wondering how she was when she entered her home alone late last night, wondering if I'd hear from her. I think I will, and if not formally, I have a feeling our paths will cross serendipitously. In the hustle of grabbing suitcases, I neglected to ask her what her name was.....but she has mine. I think I'll hear from her.

So often, especially when I'm surrounded by others at an event I wonder and wish I had more time to check out others thumbprints....... because every one of them holds artistic beauty....everyone one of them is a touchpoint to understanding we are all that we have. What is more important?