The In-Between
The in-between, the transitory, the messy middle—it’s not often celebrated.
And yet, that’s where most of life is lived.
The mountain tops are nice, the valleys are hard, but we don’t live at the top or the bottom. Those are moments or seasons.
We live most of our lives in the midsection. And maybe we need to do more celebrating while we’re there.
The middle is where the meat is. Where we find the everyday moments that can become some of our best memories if we will just grab hold of them.
The in-between is the savory, sacred space. Why don’t we enjoy it more?
Probably because it’s full of the unknown, and we like to have all the answers before we proceed. We want to know exactly how we’re going to get from point A to point B, where all the best places to eat are along the way, and how long to the minute this part of our journey will take.
We want gps for our middles.
But that’s not generally how things go. Since we spend so much time here, doesn’t it make sense that we should celebrate and savor those moments of unknown?
I am in the messy middle in most of my life right now. My kids are in all sorts of transitions on their way to adulthood. My parents are getting older and that’s a weird middle too. I’m in the middle of my life, and that’s unsettling.
But if I don’t choose to celebrate some of these in-betweeners, I’m going to miss out on all that is truly wonderful, even if it’s all unknown.
Middle doesn’t have to mean mediocre.
I wish I knew that my kids would all make great choices when it comes to choosing colleges, careers, and spouses. I would love to know the winning lottery numbers and how old I’ll be when I kick the bucket so I can prepare. I’d like some proof that the lessons we’re teaching our kids now are actually sinking in.
But I stand in the middle, looking forward to the unknown and occasionally checking my rear view just to make sure I’m still heading in the right direction.
And I’m enjoying the heck out of these middles.
It’s messy, sure. But I believe it will be worth it.