I spent all last week surrounded by concrete and asphalt. My days were spent in an air conditioned room surrounded by people who do what I used to do. I was there to observe, share, and I think inspire them to see the beauty of being a servant despite the ugliness of life we see in that profession. Though I can still see the ugliness I embrace the strength it gave me internally. I’m not sure if my message or my strength was heard through the flux of emotions that tend to travel out when I speak publicly.

I woke hours before the sun came up today. When my feet hit the floor it felt like 6 ninjas beat on me yesterday. I have spent the week back in my woods doing what I do. For some the intense heat and manual labor sounds horrible but it makes me feel alive. The sweat, the dirt, the bugs, all harmonize to reassure me I’m alive.

Everyday I make a shake for breakfast. It’s a combination of things I feel my body needs to function. I cannot say it tastes good but the nourishment it provides my body is what I’m looking for. My soul also seeks nourishment but unfortunately some of it is hard to digest.

I’m standing here in this cotton field with the sun beating down and I receive a text from a friend describing their father. The text is as follows:

“He was such an impressive guy in so many ways. I’ve never met someone with his blend of rock solid discipline of will, intellect, ethics, duty, and heart. He grew leaders and people loved working for him and sought him out to work for them. His childhood…he was a walking story of resilience and humor. Had a twinkle in his eye for sure. A lot of times his jokes also gently pushed deeper so he was a bit of a rascal that way too. Not unlike you I think at times in that.

He knew people. Could read them. My mom even more than him. It was uncanny the way she saw right into people.

Then right when he retired and they were going to take an RV all over the country for months if not years, he got sick. Was gone 3 months later”.

I read that text and that switch in my soul flipped on and then the urge to write was there. I’m sitting now under a pine tree with this cotton field at my feet. To me a simple man, life is just like my morning shake. Life provides our soul with nourishment. Unfortunately some of that nourishment does not always taste good. When those we love punch out before our perceived timeline, it’s also a punch to our soul. But that punch should be a wake up call to embrace the living around us and feel the memories of those who started another chapter. There is an old saying, “standing in high cotton”. But to have lived a life with nourishment one must also stand in low cotton.

In my world of solitude I can recall the low and the high cotton. I can feel the punch in my chest but I can also feel my lungs taking another breath. If today these written words from a cotton field drive you to embrace the living then contact the first person you thought of when you read this. Call them, text them, or hug them. If these written words drive you to those on that next chapter then embrace the strength and inspiration they were to you.

In order for our souls to to grow we must see the passing of others so we can truly appreciate the living. -Josey

For more of Josey’s stories with Dr Jeffrey Mitchell, got to https://crucialmoments.org/

To read more of Josey’s blog stories, https://theroadmapcompany.com/blog/

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