Bridges intrigue and terrify me. Shivers run down my spine on freeway flyovers that appear to rise into the sky, and you wonder if there is another side beyond the pinnacle.
Others hold my attention as I watch the traffic of vehicles or people moving about their day. We've watched documentaries explaining the marvel of bridge building, creating structures defying gravity and reality.
A bridge is a meeting place . . . a possibility, a metaphor.
—Jeanette Winterson
I always love a good metaphor, and bridges open the metaphorical lens to view our lives and choices.
Bridges connect. Human actions create bridges through kindness, compassion, and empathy to connect us to our common humanity. I enjoy people watching and keep an eye open for those simple moments when we care for those we love and total strangers, an open door, a smile, and a helping hand with heavy bags. These aren't hard things to do, but they make a difference.
Bridges go over obstacles. Sometimes, no path exists to go through the problems we face. We learn to maneuver our way around or over what stops us.
Bridges can lift to allow things to pass. The old Gaveston Causeway had a lift bridge, and the Tower Bridge in London lifts to allow large ships to pass on the River Thames. One of the hardest life lessons is how to let the "stuff" that weighs us down pass so we can keep moving forward.
Drawbridges fold up, preventing anyone from crossing. We have choices about being a bridge or a wall that shuts us off from others. Isolation promotes distrust. As Abraham Lincoln once said, "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better."
Bridges allow us to go from where we are to where we want to be. Again, we have choices. We may stay put, brave the uncertainty, or meet in the middle to listen, to find our common ground.
Today, I'm looking for ways to create more bridges of connection, build community, and manage the troubled waters.
A Bridge Over Troubled Water
Words As Bridges
"The wisdom of bridges comes from the fact that they know the both sides, they know the both shores!"
—Mehmet Murat Ildan
"Sometimes, if you stand on the bottom rail of a bridge and lean over to watch the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you will suddenly know everything there is to be known."
—Christopher Robin in A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh
And always—
Be kind. Be brave. Be you.
Photos: © Kathryn LeRoy
Feature Photo: Suspension Bridge Across the Brazos River in Waco,
Bridge Over the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Tower Bridge, London © Kathryn LeRoy
Old Galveston Causeway Postcard, circa early 1900s
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