Feeling Safe

"There is no desire deeper than the desire of being revealed." - Kahil Gibran

Each time my wife and I re-unite with these fourteen people we first met in Alaska in 2015, my gratitude for these late-in-life soulmates deepens. I reveal myself more to each of them and they do the same with me, reinforcing the wisdom of Kahil Gibran's words.   

Those revealing interactions often flow from enriching conversations about books, current events, and art that seem to occur anytime two or more of us are in close proximity. On a hike or in a vehicle, whenever we break bread together, or while just hanging out, our conversations are effortless and stimulating. And because the work backgrounds represented by the group vary from education to the law to psychiatry and beyond, the direction any conversation can take is thrillingly unpredictable. It's hard to over-state how energized I feel around these folks.   

When that energy surged early today, I reflected on its source. It could have been my recollection of an instance when someone in the group revealed themselves to me. Or it might have sprung from recalling how safe I felt revealing myself to a few of them at the same time in one of those far-ranging conversations. In either instance, the vulnerability on regular display with these people is a gift I do not take for granted. Aside from a life partner, to whom are you inclined to reveal yourself? How do you respond when others reveal themselves to you?