On Sunny Lane: It Never Ends

I hate to wash my hair.

It takes time, energy, and thought. It's not just the washing that I hate—it's the drying, too. I use the hair dryer to put a little style into my hair. My hair does not like to go where I want it to go. Styling my hair is not what I do best and, to top it off, I am impatient to get it over with. So, needless to say, I am happy when the ordeal is over.

However, the sad fact is that, in four or five days, I will need to go through the whole process again.

I hate to clip my nails—all 20 of them. It takes time, energy, and thought. I have to block out a time and location to get the job done. I don't do anything special, like shape them or paint them. All I do is clip them and file down the rough edges.

There was a time when I did the shaping and painting—when I was 12 years old. The trouble is I was still at the age when I liked to dig in the dirt from time to time. As a result, my nails didn't stay nice for long. And, when my mother bought me a violin and expected me to learn to play it, I discovered it was easier if my nails were short. I've kept them short ever since.

However, as soon as I have finished clipping my nails, I realize that, in a few weeks, I will need to clip them again.

I read a story once about a little boy who was learning to dress himself. He struggled with getting his arms in the sleeves of his shirt and legs into the correct pants legs. His little fingers fumbled with the buttons and struggled to get his socks and shoes on. It was a long, grueling process. When he was done, he asked his mother, “Am I going to have to do this every day for the rest of my life?”

It seems that the beginning of the beginning is the beginning of the end of everything we do. And the end is the beginning of a new beginning. We have become accustomed to beginnings and endings, but our life on this planet will someday come to an end and give way to a life that never ends. I wonder how we will adjust to that.

Maybe it depends on whether we go to the smoking or non-smoking section.

---

Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or send a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com