What are you going to do in this in-between space?

Photo credit: Author – December 2023

The space between being born and dying. That time in between when we have the opportunity to do something that is respectful of self and others. Toni Morrison reminds us that;

“We are already born. We are going to die. So, you have to do something interesting, that you respect, in between.”

Our curiosity for life, and with those around us in this world, offer us endless possibilities to do something interesting, fascinating, demanding, spiritual compelling, elegant – all descriptors that Toni Morrison uses to think about how we might go about living our lives. 

This summer is one of transition for me between living in a space that I own, albeit small and far away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and a grand project that I have embarked on with those closest to me; my daughter, her husband and my grandson.  A project to build an intergenerational home for that ‘in between space’ in my life; between birth and the end of life – whenever that comes. I admire their grandeur, their love and their decision to embrace us all in this great project. However, there is a space in between having an idea and making it a reality. Building a house does not happen overnight nor is it without its complexity. 

When we gesture towards complexity, when we reach out for that which is demanding, when we attempt to find ourselves in this confusion of life, it takes courage and endurance to get through these ideas that are fraught with setbacks, obstacles and great acts of kindness and humility. In these circumstances, I look to the great Toni Morrison for some insight to see through these in between times, these liminal spaces that are the bookends of life. 

In an interview she was asked; How do you survive whole? How do you get through?

Her response, which I hope you will see in this video clip below, answers that question which I have transcribed in part. 

You see Toni Morrison’s answer in this link;

The grandeur of life is that attempt, it is not about solutions. Being as fearless as one can and behaving as beautifully as one can under completely impossible circumstances. It is that, that makes it elegant. Good, is just more interesting, more complex, more demanding …

Surviving, blossoming, endurance are more compelling intellectually, spiritually, more fascinating. We are already born. We are going to die. So, you have to do something interesting that you respect, in between. 

As we enter the very cold month of August in the southern hemisphere, and the heat and warmth of the sun in the northern parts of the world, it may be interesting to consider at this juncture in life;

What are you going to do in this in between space that has been given to you?