The Time Traveler

Janie was a Time Traveler, constantly moving between the past, present, and future. She relived past traumas and experiences. She did not visit but took up residence and lived there for a while. After a while, Janie would pack up, move into the future, and live out her worst fears. Then, from time to time, she would pop back into the present.

Her constant time travel made friendships very hard, especially close friendships. She wore people out until she met Larry.  

 

Larry gave her a reason to spend more time in the present. He did not mind making quick visits with her, but he always remained grounded in the present. He offered her a rope that helped her return after brief holidays in the past or future.

 

During one recent trip, Janie found herself stuck in a recurring memory. Larry saw how Janie was lost in thought and asked, with a smile, "Earth to Janie! Earth to Janie!" She looked at him blankly, shook her head, and said, "Sorry! I went on one of my trips." Larry replied, "I thought so. Where to this time?"

 

Janie shrugged and said, "I was back in high school. The prom was coming up, and no one, NO ONE, had asked me out." Larry observed, "Feeling left out again?"

 

Janie stopped for a minute and looked at him with a bit of a head tilt. "What do you mean?"

 

Larry explained, "I've noticed you travel back there when you have had a bad day. It is usually after a run-in with one of the neighbors or something."

 

A light went on in her eyes, and Janie responded, "I did have a chat with Mary at the market. She was being a real bi*ch about my not attending the club yesterday. I told her I was sick, but she didn't believe me."

 

Larry quietly listened while Janie processed her thoughts and feelings for a bit. She eventually got around to talking about the prom. Her date waited until the last minute to ask her. After a moment, he said, "Aren't you glad you were patient with him?" She thought a bit more and talked about how they dated for quite a while, but she finally broke up when he demanded more patience than she could muster.    And then it dawned on her. "They are not going to kick me out for missing one meeting, are they?" Larry replied, "Probably not!" Janie smiled and looked him straight in the eye, saying, "You think you're clever, don't you?" Then he said with a grin, "Nope, I know I am!"

 

Larry had a gift for helping Janie unwrap the gifts that her time travel offered. He reminded her to not get lost in the feelings from the past. Instead, Larry encouraged her to learn from them. He knew that with a bit of reflection, she would wander back into the present with a nugget of wisdom that she carried in each memory. Larry would help her see beyond her fears of the future. He waited with her while the possibility of the moment appeared and then allowed her to walk up on it and claim it as a bit of hope. 

 

She still made her trips through time, but with Larry's patient listening each time, she claimed the gifts each trip offered. She learned to respect the past and future but not pitch her tent in them for long. She let the past offer its gift of experience. And then gave it enough patient, thoughtful attention to make it helpful. She then let the future offer the gift of possibility. But respected it enough to give it time to grow into hope.

 

Larry provided a present where possibilities could become a reality, a gift of hope. He respected the gifts of eternity, past-present-future. And through him, Janie could accept the deep and abundant hope that thrives in our eternity.