I imagine that the Forever inscribed and placed on this bench refers to the love and bond someone (or a group) has with another who is no longer living– a bond that will last forever. Encountering this bench made me feel quiet, and it made me also reflect on other bonds that we have and other commitments. Sometimes we lose touch with bonds and we need to come back to them. Sometimes we need to renew a loving bond with our own self, our own spirit and heart that might feel deflated or broken or worn down; our body that we might have abandoned or felt more disappointment in than appreciation of or that might have seemed to “abandon” us through health ailments and struggles. Sometimes we do feel a lot of disappointment and the bonds we need to renew are with connections to nature, or quiet, or rest, or friends, mentors, others.

What are the forevers in our lives? Can a return to compassion for ourselves and for others — a return again and again and again — be one of them? Sometimes compassion for others can come easier than toward ourselves (though not always). Let’s not forget either — proclaim and reclaim a deep commitment and bond to both. Forever.