I guess every family has their stories and legends. One for my family is about my brother Jason. In the early years on our farm before there was a yard light, it could be very dark when you had to march from the house to the barn. And yes, we had flashlights, but in a household full of kids, they often were missing. Jason worked out a strategy of taking a piece of straw, as he walked along the well-worn dark path, he focused on the piece of straw. That way he did not get overwhelmed or scared by the darkness, he could just focus on the straw and feel his next step on the well-worn path. We retell this story often and I have come to regard the strategy as a great one for life in general. Out there in the dark there is a lot to see, take in, understand, worry over, and be overwhelmed by. However, on this path there is really only the next step for us, the next right thing within our corner of influence. We can vote, we can stay informed enough to offer our opinion and support in things that matter deeply. We can make sure our neighbour and family feel safe. We can do well at our jobs and make a positive change in the place that we are. We don’t need to figure out the whole continent or try to fix massive issues or conflicts. We just need to focus on the piece of straw, feel with our feet and our intellects where we are going, where our personal path leads and keep moving forward. It is easy to feel the weight of the dark, however, determining the next right thing for each of us, in the here and now with what we can do and change, will slowly, collectively make a huge difference to the larger environment. For now, just focus on whatever your straw is, family, faith, work, health, helping, and you will get there.
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