The Disorienting Fogs of Life

A funny thing happened to me on the way home from my Arabic class last night. It was very dark and seriously foggy. As I traveled this road, the same one I've driven a thousand times, I suddenly realized I had driven several miles past the turn off to my house. I couldn't believe it!

As I turned around and headed by towards the turn I had missed, I paid extra attention to what I was doing. The fog made it difficult to recognize normal cues and landmarks I use for navigation.

It made me remember the days following my father's death. The way I tried to describe that experience to people is to say that I felt as though I were moving through a dense fog. I was disoriented and a bit numb.

Some experiences in life leave us feeling this way. We feel knocked off balance, disoriented and unable to navigate our usual pathways with our usual efficiency.

When 'fog sets in' we need to give ourselves some extra support and take a little extra time to plan our next move and take the next step. We can't expect to drive as fast as we usually do. It's dangerous and we are likely to miss turns and get even more disoriented and lost.

Fog comes into every life. Fog happens. We must adapt and adjust to those times in life when we are knocked off our normal game by unexpected and difficult circumstances.

When fog hits, slow down, take a deep breath and allow yourself the extra time and support you need to get where you need to go.