The painting, below, is titled “Paradise Lost.” “Paradise Lost” is now finished: literally and metaphorically. I am moving on to new days which, I am trusting, will be full of new pieces of paradise. The journey does not always take me where I want to go, but as I look back I can see that the road I traveled was paved with unexpected wisdom. This painting captures a moment on my journey that feels pivotal. I have been doing much emotional work to be ready for it. Yesterday, I didn’t feel prepared. Today, I am ready. Time is wise and gives me what I need for tomorrow. The closing date on my childhood home is set for a week from now. I have said, “Goodbye” in a number of ways: mostly through remembering with family and friends, taking and archiving photos, journaling, and (in great measure) artmaking. It’s just a house- mostly empty. It was once a paradise full of life and beauty. This is a truth that has been long lost. It is no longer what it once was. I am at the end of a long journey in accepting this, that ironically, brings me home. I see meaning is not about a place, a person, or an event. It’s about how it has all shaped me. The journey did its work. It’s why I look forward with hope. Consider your journey and the internal work it has done for you. What work do you still need to do so that you can be ready for “What’s Next” and say goodbye to “What Was”? What steps do you need to take so that you can look forward with hope? Find a way to say “Goodbye” so that you can let go when it’s time. “Paradise Lost” brings me strange peace. It has been my way of being ready. It’s your journey. Find your way. Then, share what you learn on the journey.