The Whale and the Albatross

Book excerpt: THE WHALE AND THE ALBATROSS could be the story of any of us who come into the presence of someone who awakens a recognition in ourselves. It could be about a friend, a partner, a romantic interest, or someone we meet fleetingly who then appears in our dreams over and over. We feel at home with these rare souls and may feel like we want to spend the rest of our lives in a bubble of time and space with them. However, having our own biological, social, creative, and psychological needs, we may then recognize that our desire to be in communion with these special souls is incompatible with our ultimate need to live our own life to the fullest expression of itself. This means we have to say goodbye, possibly forever. Some goodbyes to others can feel like saying goodbye to parts of ourselves. But if we can gracefully accept the transitory nature of these communions, we can also accept the shifting nature of ourselves and, in turn, continue living to our ultimate joy. This is a story about that process.