When boldness is called for, bold men do not shrink

Its the type of day, cool and overcast, slight fog hovering just above the rooftops, where when presented with quiet you have no choice but to think. Maybe its mortality or eternity or some combination of being older and learning the way of giving up and finding trust despite yourself, but I'm caught thinking. So much of life is wonderful and amazing, and so much of life trying and burdensome; we get glimpses of heaven and hell within moments of each other every day. Recently I've been thinking about community -- friendships, family, activities and gatherings.

I've been thinking about fulfillment and duty and the great balance that all of these things have to equate to make life full. Right now, my life is full. There is balance. But there are more weights to upturn the balance. There always are more things coming through our paths to tip those scales. Illness. Money. Pressure. Stress. Worries. The great unknown of the future. It feels like our family has been finding ways to get the scales back to balance -- the work has been steady and we're able to pay the bills, the kids have been excelling in school and finding ways to cope with their issues, our marriage is strong and steady, our friendships are growing and meaningful. Even on gloomy days, things can be bright, if you're looking deeper.