In Bali, a tiny Hindu Indonesian island, the people live with achieving what we would call "balance" as their utmost goal in life. This sense of balance is found not only by organizing and celebrating and ceremonially arranging their outward experiences, but by remaining in sync with the divinity they seek inward with their God. Their balance is found by finding the center of north, south, east, and west in all that they do and their culture is heavily and beautifully influenced by rich customs, such as the creative Balinese dancing (it reminds me a bit of a mix of the Macarenna, the Twist, and Yoga) and rituals of prayer and meditation.

I tell you all of this background information to prelude the observation that the two most important questions in Balinese culture when interacting with someone you don't know are "Where are you going?" and "Where are you coming from?".

When I read this, I was surprised at my own answers to these simply worded questions:

"Where are you going?"

The future.

"Where are you coming from?"

The past.

...... well duh. So is everyone else.

Really, Michelle, where ARE you going? Although it is frighteningly unknown, I am trying my hardest to go toward my hopes and my dreams, toward happiness and fulfillment and joy, to many days of good health and smiles and laughs shared with people whom I love. I am going toward knowledge, to places and peoples unknown to me thus far, to new experiences, to love, to discovery.

And where AM I coming from? I am sure of this. I am coming from a family that loves me beyond what I can comprehend until I have my own and a southern town that will always welcome me home no matter how far away I stray. I come from groups of friendly memories with both old and new, lost and found and re-found acquaintances. I come from years of growing pains, terrible mistakes, nights of tears and mornings of prayers, and many many lessons learned.

But I must add one more question that I deem crucial to finding this balance we all so desperately seek. Where am I NOW?

Now. I am seeking, learning, recovering, growing, hurting, loving, trying, believing. Right now I am in entangled in so many webs, it all seems to far from balance. But I know I have many people to help me untangle these threads that hold me back and many more helpful ways to further weave my world so that it connects the mysteriously serene present to the thoughtful past with the hopeful future.