We know we have survived the Middle Passage when we no longer cling to who we were, no longer seek fame or fortune or the appearance of youth.
The sense of life as a slow taking away is transformed. Through relinquishing all that we have sought, we transcend the delusions of security and identity.
Then, most strangely, surplus of existence floods our heart.
JAMES HOLLIS
Adpated from The Middle Passage, From Misery to Meaning in Midlife (Inner City Books)
Next step: A bright sadness