Little By Little

Little by little and was by was
all by all and deep by deep

These lines are from a poem Sam sent me when we were first getting to know each other.

This idea of "little by little" recurred in our lives together as we moved in to our new home. I have written about this idea before, but I seem to need to learn and relearn.

I am at peace with this.

I wonder is it just me that feels this compulsion to get everything done this moment? Am I a product of our culture? I need to see results, and I forget that the most important results take time, traditions and even daily rituals.

Over our fence, we hear lilting Italian music reminding our neighbors of home. The notes dance across our honey suckle fence from their earthy-layered garden to our fumbling tomato plants. As the voices crone and the notes strain, I imagine that our neighbors know everything about the earth and growing. I imagine that they know all about the rituals that make you deep and rich in ways that are impossible to articulate. I imagine that little by little and all by all they have become deep by deep.

Next door is where I want to be. I want to be rich and layered. I want to laugh, tend, create and grow.

For now it's back to writing here and little by little growing up and open.