The bridge.

“When you're weary, feeling small

When tears are in your eyes, I'll dry them all 

I'm on your side, oh, when times get rough

And friends just can't be found

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will lay me down.”

Right now the lyrics above have taken on significant meaning. As we hunker down in our areas of dwelling, from homes to apartments to wherever people can find a roof, I personally feel very small as I am one in a sea of global population. But, as one, I can make a difference and I really hope others believe they can too.

I have never really been all that fearful of dying. I simply have joked, “When it’s my turn, it's been a pleasure.” Candidly, I have thought about it recently and for sure it’s no laughing matter with our world today. I believe we all know of someone who has been effected; whether it’s their family, relative or a friend, we are definitely at a level we never thought we would have to consider outside of a movie theatre. The big difference? We could walk away from it two hours after it began—-I want to have a happy ending to this situation we are in the middle of right now, and I certainly don’t want a sequel.

Okay, enough of that happy talk.

When you go through times of trouble, it is essential to be selective in who you can trust to confide in. Prior to the virus, we dealt with any and all issues that came into our personal lives—from love to health to what to eat, by talking to a friend or professional who could help to guide us. (Hey, when you’re hungry it’s a big deal but not worth a therapists hourly charge.)

As we get older, we find our friends sometimes move on and we lose touch. But what’s amazing is, when you have a deep bond with someone, and the going really gets tough (not food related) you know who you can connect and re-connect with. I have a few friends who I can call and they will be back in touch within a matter of moments. They know they can do the same with me—simply when a shoulder or back is needed, you know who will be there for support.

In the scheme of things, we are all pretty small, but in terms of helping others, we have the opportunity to be much larger than we think we are capable of being. Let’s help, if for no other reason, it feels good.

The photo above was taken outside of St. Louis heading back to Chicago on Highway 55. I had driven by this bridge probably 100 times. But in order to take the photo, I would have to take the turn off, head south, and then find the road that would take me to it. One day I said, “Today’s the day.” As we look at the bridges that can take us over these troubled waters, we have to remember…they can hold a lot of weight and are happy to do so.

Thanks for stopping by.