Skip to main content

Morning

Awakening early, I quietly snuck to the kitchen to start the coffee, and then put the final stitches in my shawl. I will block it later this morning and the anticipation of watching the pattern come fully into its promise is both exciting and sad. Like watching a wounded bird whom you have nursed back to health take flight.

After weaving in the ends, I poured myself a fresh cup of coffee, put on my shoes and coat, and opened the door on the crisp, cool morning. Mornings are like a clean slate. Everything is fresh. The air seems to be cleaner, somehow. Not used up and breathed out without even noticing it's delicious flavor by the rest of the world. Leisurely walking down the hill, I looked off towards the mountains which were shrouded in a silky mist. It seemed they were beckoning to me to come and explore what lay beneath their misty cover. My footsteps were all of a sudden muffled and I glanced down to see a pink blanket of fallen apple blossoms covering the sidewalk. The tree was behind a stone wall, but created a canopy over the walkway. The old house beyond must have hundreds of stories to tell.

It is a holiday and all the shops are closed, excepting the one for which I set out. The bakery. It is full this morning with hungry customers. My order is large, for we have our first overnight guests and that makes me happy. I enjoyed cleaning yesterday in anticipation of their arrival. Of creating a comfortable place for them after their long journey. And now I wait for the house and all the people to awaken. The birds are singing as only they do at the break of a new day. It reminds me of cheerful chatter between friends.

I cherish these rare quiet moments. They renew and fill me with fresh hope.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Door Table

Once there was a store in Georgia. It is no more, but how I wish it was. I likened going in there to treasure hunting. One never knew what was going to be in there, and you had to dig through and wade through all the "other people's treasures" to find your own. I once found a set of blue and white teacups and saucers from England. I found lace handkerchiefs, a rocking chair, and an end table. But by far the best find was my kitchen table. I had stopped by one day while the kids were taking horseback lessons and the then little ones were asleep. The store was not open, but I went up to the window to see if anything new was there. And it was there. The table. And six chairs too! We were in need of a bigger table with Jack on the way. My mom had offered to give us her old one, which I was going to accept if I didn't find something I liked better. I didn't want anyone else to even see the table because I knew it was supposed to be ours, but one can never tell abo...

Walking a New Path

 Well now. It has been quite a while, hasn't it?  I have kept silent about my struggles for the past four years, mainly because I was in the midst of something that I never imagined could happen to our family. And it wasn't just my story. It still is not.  A friend once told me I am an external processor, and I suppose she is right. I find that saying things out loud help me find the answer, if there is one. There was no good answer, as it turns out. And so, I am sad to say, that I am now divorced. A single mother, navigating a life I never imagined.  But there are some things that haven't changed. My faith, for one. I know that God is with me on this journey and that He is way smarter and wiser than I could ever be. He has held me close as I wept and grieved the end of my marriage. He held my hand as I packed up what would fit in a moving truck and drove our belongings to a new home. He has led me to new jobs and I can only trust that all will be well if only I cont...

Fog and faith

 I stepped out into the coolness of the November morning to start the car and defog the windows, preparing to take Jack to school. Daylight had yet to appear. As we drove the many miles, the sky lightened, and we could see the mist hanging out just above the grass. We usually listen to a story together on our drive, adding commentary, exchanging a knowing glance or a shocked expression as the twists and turns unfold. I relish this time with Jack. I know that all too soon he will be preparing to leave the nest, like his sisters before him.  On the drive back, I pull my rosary from my purse and pray. By this time, the sun is just about to appear, making the sky a beautiful orange-pink on the horizon. I am pondering much as I pray, for the path I am on is once again rocky and uncertain. Such is life, whether we have faith or not. Faith makes it bearable. For the most part, the road home is a straight shot and I can see the ribbon of road laid out before me, narrowing in the dista...