By John Harricharan
"A matter of perspective, John," she replied. "You're as old as the hills or as young as a newborn day. It all depends on you and how you perceive your world. You don't see things as they are, you see them as you are." "Then if I'm seeing you as I am, I must be in pretty good condition myself," I said with a grinning wink. "Much better than you want to give yourself credit for," she replied.
"Thank you," I laughed.
The waiter brought our meals and as we dined I asked, "Tell me, Marla, what are you and Gideon doing here? Why are you here again? Oh, I'm happy that you're back, but I'm also very curious. Is this another lesson-learning period? You know how I hate lessons and exams."
"The final lesson, John," she said in a more serious tone. "A lesson that's a bit different from the ones you learned years ago. Now let's just enjoy dinner — savor the present moment. Too much focus on near-death experiences; let's enjoy a ‘near-life' experience."
I sat across the table, relishing my dinner while, at the same time,silently watching the light play soft fireworks in Marla's hair. The conversation drifted from remembrances of times past to possibilities of the future without touching too deeply on the reasons for our meeting again. Perhaps, not everything has a reason. Perhaps, some things just are.
There we sat, two friends who were worlds apart and yet, so close. One who seemed to transcend the normal worries of time and space and the other who spent most of his waking hours making a living instead of making a life.
As the last of our dinner plates were cleared,Marla beamed that radiant, sunshine smile again. "You must be anxious to get home, to see the children and rest after such a grueling week," she said.
"Yes, I miss them very much. And I do need some rest. Around the world in a week or so could be rough." Over my objections, she paid the tab and we walked hand in hand to the waiting limo. "James will drive you home," she said. "Sorry I can't come with you this time, but maybe soon. Give the kids a big hug for me. And here's a special one for you."
She moved closer and placed a gentle kiss on my right cheek. There in the moonlight with the cool breeze blowing through our hair, I said good-bye to Marla. I knew I'd be seeing both her and Gideon again, soon.
It wasn't too long before the limo pulled into my driveway and I was home. Yes, all paths lead back home. The sailor returns from the sea and, as the poet said, the hunter home from the hills.
To read the rest of the story visit http://www.spiritual-simplicity.com
Lecturer, entrepreneur and MBA business consultant, John Harricharan is the author of the award-winning book, "When You Can Walk on Water, Take the Boat." Spiritual Simplicity The Real Secret
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