"The watch is…beautiful, but the trouble is it’s been in that box too long—it’s stopped working. Sometimes, you’ve got to shake it up again to get it moving. Too many opportunities out there to spend your life in a box, no matter how nice that box is."

– Dolphin Tale

 I wandered in to the kids' movie the other day as the older gentleman was explaining his going away gift (an heirloom watch which required a good shake to get started) to the young man who was so very apprehensive about the whole "going away" thing.  I am not young anymore and have done a good deal of going away myself.  And going towards and going forward.  

It doesn't get easier. 

We have had some wonderful and wrenching goodbye's.  We have had some sleepless nights wondering what we are going towards.  I have shared before the moments of fear over the not knowing.  When I wandered in during this clip, however cheesy, it did remind me about boxes, however nicely I may make them up.  They still contain and confine. They aren't meant to hold in a life.  Staying inside lends a certain dependability, predictability to life.  And it eliminates all new possibilities. 

The shaking up part can be a little disconcerting. Or a lot. Still, there are too many opportunities waiting to be embraced and only one way to reach them. 

I remind myself again that it is ok to be afraid, it just isn't ok to let that stop you.