I have gone through the difficulty of several serious break-ups. Twice I have had to deal with the challenges of getting officially divorced. People, on hearing me mention that I recently got divorced, have typically offered a sympathetic “That’s too bad.”
I think I have startled them when I have replied, “No, it has been good. Difficult, but good.” I have few regrets for the years I have spent with my partners. Nor do I regret the decision that we made, sometimes jointly, to end that partnership.
I think that I have actually learned a lot, and the evidence of that I see in the joy that flows through my life, day after glowing day. I may simply be someone who has to squeeze a number of avocados before finding one that is properly ripened and promises to please my pallet.
Perhaps I never have had the skill to recognize a ripe avocado when I saw one. Maybe recognizing and selecting a deep relationship is no different for me. Maybe the selection is by its nature a temporary one because I am learning to be more insightful as I go.
Sometimes, I had to learn just how to grasp and squeeze an avocado to recognize its degree of ripeness, suitability and promise. I think that I am getting much better at avocado picking. And I love the taste of a properly ripened avocado.