A quote: “Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.” ~~ Carl Jung

I’ll start with a story …

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Lily was a shock. Kathleen and James had lost track of their daughter years ago. Their daughter, the wild child, the defiant child, the one who packed a bag at 18 and left.

Now the same judicial system that told them it wouldn’t help them locate an adult who didn’t want to be found presents them with a six-year-old granddaughter they didn’t know existed.

Lily is as tiny as a 4-year-old, with eyes that look too old. Lily, who won’t walk across an open floor; walks the perimeter, always as close to the walls as possible, keeping track of where the doors are.

James and Kathleen look at each other. Can we handle this?

Months of patience, months of looking for the key to reach Lily.

Kathleen is unloading the dishwasher and realizes she’s short some forks and spoons. She looks for Lily, finds her under the dining table, playing with them. She has shown no interest in the toys they have bought for her but …

Kathleen goes to the basement and pulls out her grandmother’s silverplate. She wraps up a place setting and presents it to Lily, who is wary.

“Yes, this is now yours. Yours alone.”

Lily carefully unwraps the silver, picks out one gleaming spoon to hold to the light.

“Mine.”

“Yes, yours. I show you how to set your place at the table, too.”

It’s a key. A tiny key. But Lily smiles.

Maybe, maybe.

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Now, it’s your turn.
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.featured image cropped Adobe stock standard license