HALFWAY DOWN
By A. A. Milne
Halfway down the stairs
Is a stair
Where I sit.
There isn't any
Other stair
Quite like
It.
I'm not at the bottom,
I'm not at the top;
So this is the stair
Where
I always
Stop.
Halfway up the stairs
Isn't up
And isn't down.
It isn't in the nursery,
It isn't in the town.
And all sorts of funny thoughts
Run round my head.
"It isn't really
Anywhere!
It's somewhere else
Instead!"
This is one of my favorite A. A. Milne poems. It is a part of the 1924 collection When We Were Very Young. The poem is talking about how a child can get lost in thought, forgetting why they were going down (or up) the stairs because something else caught their mind's attention. I, like most adults, have put away my childish ways but loosing track of what we were about to do happens to all of us. Forgetting why I was looking for the scissors or wondering why I have two different shoes to put on is usually because I am too busy planning what comes later in the day. It helps when I just stop and sit "halfway down the stairs." I stop to let all the confusing, distracting thoughts "run round my head" and go away.
With all the distractions in our world today my life gets hectic. I also have a couple of Bible verses that help slow down and focus my purpose. The first verse is taken from Mark 4:39, Jesus is telling the wind and the waves to "Be silent! Be still!" This verse helps to steady my boat. I also heard "Oh, just be still!" a lot from my mother-in-law (Moma Lou). If you went to her for advice or were not happy with someone, she would start the conversation with those words. Sitting down "on the stairs" and being still might help you to decide if you are going up or down the stairs.
My favorite verse (I really think of it as a prayer) that helps me focus when there are too many thoughts running around in my head is Philippians 4:7. "And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." I will think on or pray this verse when I'm "sitting on the stairs" and find that it comforts me and calms my mind. I hope this helps when you find too many distractions that are preventing you from focusing on your purpose and find yourself sitting and you don't know if you are going up the stairs or going down the stairs. I hope it will help you to find your way.
--Tina
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