Coming full circle

There's a funny little number I'm rather fond of called tau. Tau is defined as 2*pi, or about 6.2831. It isn't as famous as pi, but there is a case to be made that we should use it instead of pi. Perhaps pi (the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle) made sense to ancient Greek mathematicians, but in most instances we end up using 2*pi. It takes 2*pi radians to get around a circle,1/sqrt( 2*pi) is the constant used for the normal distribution, and so on. So, why not just use tau instead of 2*pi?

I mean, it will never happen. Maybe when the US switches to metric or we start using the Deseret Alphabet. But nevertheless, every June 28 (since it's 6/28) I like to spent a moment commemorating tau, and how, unlike pi, it goes around the full circle. (Good excuse to eat pie again, if you dare use your oven in the summer.)

Actually, there's a lot in life that feels like it's come full circle these days. When we first moved to New Haven, our landlord was out of the country, and the person she gave the keys to was in a meeting, so we were locked out for a little while and sat on the steps.

Then on Monday morning, we sat on the steps again, and later in the afternoon we were locked out again (intentionally this time).

Tuesday afternoon, our flight arrived in Salt Lake City, and then we drove north.

Back home. For good.

When I was in a children's choir as a teenager, we often sang a song by the local composer Jay Richards. As we drove into the valley, the words came back into my head.

My blessed canyon home waits long for my return
For long now have I been away.
Until my eyes behold my blessed canyon home
My heart will never rest.

For there is waiting the end of journeying
The long, lonely road I've known.
A heart is weary and longs for my return
To my blessed canyon home.

In restless youth I longed to see the world beyond.
I heard the fair horizon call
Then left I far behind my blessed canyon home
To seek my fortune there.

I wandered mountainsides green and blossoming
But never did I behold
A valley lovely and half as fair to see
As my blessed canyon home.

We don't know what life has in store for us. We think we'll stay here forever, but life is full of surprises.

But amidst those surprises, life has a way of coming full circle.