Each time I write one of these blog posts, I leave the “caption” field for last. It doesn’t seem appropriate to fill in when I haven’t written the body yet, plus there’s the fact that titles are something I’ve always struggled with.

Observing people, the look in their eyes tells us much. Their body language and expressions say a lot; everyone has a caption at any given moment. Airports are good places for this type of reading.

Focused. Disheartened. Anxious. Sad. Excited. Concerned. Happy. Hopeful.

My own captions ran the gamut between airports today. Frustration dominated my morning, followed by exhaustion, then calm. Staring out an airplane window and thinking in circles, thinking about things upcoming, things past and thinking years down the line uncovered more:

Nervous. Irritated. Sad. Happy. Regretful. Empty. Blessed. Fearful. Positive. Negative. Positively negative. Deliriously positive. Alone. Supported. Unsure. Assured.

Bouncing all over the place is draining, as is the habit of being avoidant, which I usually do quite well. But when time comes back around and places a trial in your path, avoiding it is the last thing you’re able to do, even though it’s the thing you may want most. Time is ticking, and for the first time in a while, I’d like it to stand still. Maybe even go in reverse. But it can’t.

Everyone has a caption. Whose do you see? Whose are you acutely aware of? What are yours, and who can enhance them? Who can fix them?

Tonight I am a bit out of sorts from wading through stuff – stuff years in the making, and stuff that has implications on the future. But it’s stuff that’s mine, and if I’ve come this far with them, maybe the bad captions stand a chance yet of being righted someday. And for that possibility, I am thankful.