I once heard someone tell a story
About reaching out for late night help
After a break up.
When you're in the hallway
Sweep the hallway 
Her friend had advised.

At the time
I was in the midst of a massive course correction.
Major shift.
A seemingly never ending hallway.
And I was literally
Spending a lot of time sweeping a hallway.
Ha ha.
So it stuck. 

I was living with a friend who had two Himalayan cats.
Two things you should know about Himalayan cats.
One.
They are not from Himalaya.
It sounds very airy fairy.
Like they have descended from a mountain top
To teach us ancient wisdom.
But in fact... and number two.
They are just hairy.
So. Much. Hair.
Fur balls everywhere.
Once I opened the refrigerator
And a hair ball floated out. No! 

I would keep the door to my room shut
Because black clothes.
But they - a brother and sister
And almost identical
So I could never tell which was which -
Plus when they slept
They mirrored each other and formed a heart shape
That was the good part -
But I swear they shed even while heart shaped sleeping. 

Anyway.
They would poke their furry paws under my door.
Desperate to know
What’s happening in there!
Eventually I’d take pity on them
And open the door
So that curiosity would not - as they say - kill the cat. 
And as soon as I opened the door
They'd scurry away.
So fast.
So scared.
Of the exact thing they seemed to have wanted.
I assumed this was the message of the cats.
That this was what I was doing.
Wanting to know the future
And then - when it was shown to me  - running! 

But then this second and maybe more lasting message
About the hallway.
Because I was in fact
Sweeping the literal hallway of that place
All the time.
Trying to contain the fur balls.
I was in the hallway
Sweeping the hallway. 

And now as we together walk through this giant hallway
This huge transition.
When it is sometimes hard to know what to do.
How to help.
What the right action is.
Sweep the hallway.
Whatever that means to you.
Get rid of the dust.
Mental.
Physical.
Spiritual.
Except the angel dust.
Leave that be.

As we wait here
Making the hallway beautiful
And maybe trying to open a door
Or at least peer underneath
Every now and then.
When you are in the hallway
Sweep the hallway.
Amen.