A Moment to Carry Me Through
- Pathways of Possibility
- Aug 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 4
Have you ever had a challenging time in your life when you just really needed a moment to carry you through? If so, you are not alone. Here Teresa Sullivan tells of just such a moment.
Once while walking on Narragansett Beach in Rhode Island, I saw a seagull swoop down and pick up a big clam shell and fly up to a good height and drop it. I thought it was by mistake at first. But he swooped down and picked it up again, and then he flew back up to the same height and dropped it again. He did it over and over again, until the shell cracked open so he could make a meal of the clam inside.
Sometimes it can feel like you are the clam, and life is the seagull. One can imagine the clam thinking “Wow, that was intense; thank God that’s over!”—only to find it happening again and again. Where do you find stability in times of instability?
In my years, there has been the need to move house frequently. With each move, there was the need to shed possessions. Often what was kept needed to be relegated to a storage locker for months or years at a time. Sometimes the new home was furnished, sometimes empty.
With each move, an ecology needs to be built; a house becomes a home with each curtain hung, each chair assembled, each keepsake placed, as well as dishes put away, utensils tucked in a drawer, and a tea pot on the stove.
But each time a home became established, there then became a need to move, again and again and again. It began to feel like building castles in the sand. Just when you plant the flag at the top of your sandcastle, a wave comes and washes it away.
In times like these you might find yourself wondering, is there a lesson here for me to learn? In my struggle to persevere, my mind recalls a moment from my past that has become a vitamin for me.
Some years ago, I found myself returning to my childhood home to stay for a few months. Just as it had been while growing up, it was filled to the brim with family members and their pets. One night, after a very full day, I needed a quiet place to sit and gather myself. Not finding anywhere inside, I stepped outside to the front step. There on the step was a milk crate, empty and waiting for the morning milk delivery. I flipped it over and sat down.
The magenta-colored flowers of the Azalea bushes were in full bloom on each side of the step. There was a balmy breeze carrying the perfumy scent of nearby flowers. The night sky was clear. I settled in and looked up at the twinkling stars. It was peaceful. All noise from within and without receded. In that moment, all was well.
We are endowed with so much, and we are surrounded by it always. One has only to look up to see the sky or to stop and listen to hear birds singing, or to breathe in and out to see God’s work in action.
Sometimes, life can be humbling. But in those moments when you feel stripped bare, something else is possible. Whether you are between jobs, or between houses; whether you’ve lost a loved one or are seeing them through an illness; no matter what you are struggling with, it will pass.
Through all our difficulties, the sun rises in the morning and sets at night. We breathe in, and we breathe out. Life goes on.
In times like these, what one truly values comes to the forefront. It is not about “having it all.” Rather, it is about appreciating what you do have: friends, family, religious beliefs - or a moment of peace under the stars on a milk crate atop your front step.
If you enjoyed this story, you may also enjoy reading Teresa's article "A Glimpse Into How Our Energy Systems Work" and listening to her read her poem "Pray Me That..." on our Writings & Audio page.
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