I have an addiction.  Truly I should stand up in a meeting and say, “My name is Denise, and I am addicted to driving.”

I have found MY personal meditation/therapy/confessional behind the wheel of my car.  On a good day, 1 hour around Sebago Lake is enough to talk myself into, or out of anything: a mood, a decision, a project….you name it.  It is an immeasurable help to do what I affectionately refer to “Data Dumping.”  Most days, 1 hour is enough.  Some days there are not enough miles of roadway to slow the whirring thoughts.

Today was a 1 hour drive kinda day.  Here is what a chain of thoughts can produce:  Wow it’s a really nice day, I’ll put the window down, oooh, remember last year and all that was going on….you were working out of the dining room at Aunt Margaret’s while waiting for debris removal…it was cold in the house, but beautiful outside.  Oh…I haven’t really posted any updates to Facebook, but no one will want to hear how often you flashback…they just want to know you are ok….Oh, Facebook….THANK YOU….Facebook has enabled so many to answer that question we all ask as we get older: “I wonder whatever happened to (Insert Name Here)?”  I have reconnected with family, friends, neighborhood kids, school friends, Rainbow people, work friends from every job I have ever had…How cool to reconnect…oooh…circles….

When I thought of those circles…like rings of a tree trunk….or ripples on the water, I was reminded of a presentation I once saw…. A very long time ago…and while I don’t remember the words…I remember the visual.  It was delivered by a dear woman whom I still love and respect.

Picture a large, round mirror on a table.  Upon the mirror, in the center, she placed a Styrofoam “rock.”  The rock represented me.  And she reminded everyone that when a rock is dropped on calm water, rings are created that radiate outward.  The ripples or “rings” were represented by seven Styrofoam circles, of varying sizes.

The smallest circle was Red.  Red, in the Rainbow Girls, represents love.  Imagine the smallest circle being those closest to you.  The loves of your life.  Your innermost circle.

The next circle was Orange.  Orange denotes religion.  A religion where the greatest commandment is that we love God, and love others.  Period…how appropriate that religion would surround love.

Yellow, the next “ring” is for Nature.  Sometimes it is through experiencing the out of doors, we are closest to our God, and ourselves.

Immortality was the next circle and the color is Green.  Evergreen.  Eternal.  From the moment we are born, we are traveling towards death.  That last enemy.

The 5th ring is Blue.  Fidelity.  True blue friendship…honoring commitment.  Loyalty.

The next to last ring is Indigo.  A reminder to respect our flag, honor those that protect our freedom, and be thankful for the right to disagree.

The last ring, and the largest is Violet.  Service.  We were reminded to “respond most graciously and most unselfishly to the call of love as it comes to (us) in opportunities of service.”   I guess, that was perhaps the most important message of all…to LOVE is to SERVE and they are connected by all of the other rings….

Imagine how many of  those rings have radiated from you as a result of the experiences of your life…and how many time you might have been called upon to use those “rings” to survive each new life adventure.

Yeah…In the car today I thought of all of THOSE things…and more…as I pulled into my driveway, I said a prayer of thanksgiving:  as I look back over the last 52 years and 361 days of that the Rock I am told I am….I wouldn’t change a thing.  53?  Bring it on!