My son is in Paris for a few days. He has been in Scotland for a term and is taking advantage of the opportunity to see Europe. It was important to him partly because five of his siblings went there with me six years ago. Since he was running short on cash I went to his bank to make a deposit. It would be disappointing to be this close and not see France. He posted the obligatory photo of himself in front of the Eiffel Tower, just to clarify the facts. 

But he has not lost his identity. He is not Paris. 

Yesterday one of the ten little girls who came over for sewing was grumpy. She had trouble finishing her fleece bunny, so I put on the button eyes for her. Later her mother apologized for her behavior, but I do not fault someone for having a slump day.  We can visit or be visited by a mood without morphing with it. What is more we can usually leave it behind as easily as we can take a train out of Edinburgh. In fact there is no charge for the ride. 

When we cling to a transient quality as if it is permanent we tether ourselves unnecessarily. We are not our feelings. We are not our thoughts. It is God's gift to us to be able to visit joy and exuberance, like we drive into Paris. His life is the only true permanence. 

And if by chance we find ourselves in a seedy part of town He protects our freedom to move on.