My, what a difference. New sidewalks going in, roadbeds being changed, and the stones of the sidewalks bigger and wider.
So much can change in so little time.
As summer ends and our "regular" lives and regular activities start up again, it will be interesting to see what else has changed. I am not thinking here about the physical places in which we live, though changes in those can be disorienting. Rather, I am thinking about the changes in us and the changes in people around us.
Some of us, of course, will feel and be little different than we were last spring or even last autumn. But some of us will have changed a lot. Some among us will have had experiences that touched their hearts or souls, that caused them to reflect upon life, upon who they and we are as people. Some will have found new love or idealism to share with us, others new bitterness or cynicism that we may be able to heal.
As we begin again, as we start this new year, may we listen to one another to hear the stories of growth and change, of strength and courage, of stumbling blocks and renewal.