Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Counting Winter's Bounty

Unexpected melting in the village continues, and every puddle in the park seems to be talking to the sky, sometimes clouded and grey, sometimes clear and blue, always engaging, particularly when seen in a pool of melt water.

It is mild enough for Beau and I to be outdoors for hours, and we potter along at a snail's pace, talking with the trees (especially the beech mother in the park), listening to crows conversing over our heads, counting cones on the old pines in the woods. This morning we returned home with our pockets full of fragrant seed bearers in all shapes and sizes, happier with our gathered abundance than we would have been with bags of glittering coin. My companion has no pockets of his own of course, and he makes use of mine.

Long walks cannot uproot a grief so profound, but they soothe aching hearts in some small measure. We walk for miles and miles, and the beloved one who has gone on ahead is never far from our thoughts. Wherever he journeys, we send him our love. May his trail be easy and filled with light.

4 comments:

Barbara Rogers said...

As ever, walks help adjusting to the changing world...of people, trees, seeds, animals, just fresh air. Now I'm off for another day in traffic, to see some of my loved ones.

Mystic Meandering said...

"Long walks cannot uproot a grief so profound, but they serve aching hearts in some small measure." Amen to that! On Solstice I tapped into some really deep seated grief from the losses of the heart this year, which I thought had passed. I bawled for an hour... But evidently just what I needed. A comfort to me is that before my mother died she saw a "beautiful woman" sitting on the fence outside her bedroom window, and announced that this woman had come to "help her on her journey." May it be so... Love too you, Cate...

bev said...

Sabrina and walked along the San Pedro River almost every day after I traveled to Arizona the autumn and winter after Don died. I found the time to be comforting as the three of us had walked together for so many years. It helped to get me through that time of learning to carry on. Even now, I feel Don's presence - perhaps even growing stronger with each passing year. It seems he has found his way here to this place beside the river. Wishing you peace in this difficult time, Cate. <3

Debbie said...

❤️