July 7, 2007
On this seventh day of the seventh month of ’07, it is seemly that I write a Litany of Thanksgiving.
For Zoie’s and Kira’s delighted faces as they recounted to me their ride in the 4th of July parade and for their parents who made all the arrangements, decorated the MGB and made the experience happen,
Thanks be to God.
For Ursula and Fiona dancing through the gardens with nets in hand, capturing moths and butterflies so they could examine their beauty and bring them in for their mother to catalogue before releasing them,
Thanks be to God.
For John-paul’s photos – Seward town in celebration of all things patriotic – tractors in pairs moving through the parade in the afternoon sun and grand daughters with fireflies,
Thanks be to God.
For the pleasure of sitting in splendor while Charles and the children do all the work that makes family gatherings such a delight,
Thanks be to God.
For sunflowers and zinnias, cone flowers and marigolds, black eyed susans and white daisies, day lilies and honeysuckle, orchids and clematis all blooming bright colors everywhere I look,
Thanks be to God.
For all the creatures of Sanctuary, on the wing and hidden away, and including the ill-mannered raccoon that comes to eat the sunflower seeds intended for the song birds,
Thanks be to God.
For a body that endures, doing the best that it can, carrying my spirit on into the future under difficult circumstances,
Thanks be to God.
And for all the blessings that fill my days and nights – those known and unknown; and for care and prayers and unexpected moments of happiness,
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
As these days pass, quickly bringing us to the planned departure date for the trip to New Zealand, I have struggled to bring together the two sides of an equation that refuse to meet. (Not unlike struggling to zip up a garment over a body that is too large.) On the one side is the person of my imagination and past; strong, vital, grabbing suitcases and passport and sunglasses and standing in airport lines preparing to fly great distances across the waters to have the grand adventures. On the other side is the person that I happen to be at the moment; both energy and immunity challenged, unable to sustain activity for very long without having the entire system give way until it rests and regroups. Until just a few days ago, I was mentally bemoaning the state of my being, but then it came to me that I had it all wrong; already this body has carried me past all expectations, and it continues the task as best it can in spite of great handicaps. It would seem wise to be grateful and to not ask of it what it cannot deliver. With that in mind, I told Charles that perhaps we couldn’t go this time, and he acquiesced with alacrity and immediately presented a “Plan B”. That would be a road trip at our leisure to San Francisco to arrive on August 3rd for a wedding there. Of course, there could be a miracle, and we have never discounted miracles! Soon we will know where the July days will take us, and we will be pleased no matter which direction that is.