Birds criss-cross my backyard, chirping their joy in the blue and stopping to feed at my eight birdfeeders on shepherd hooks here and there amongst the flowers. A few bolder souls go to the top of the two-tiered concrete fountain gurgling in a corner of my patio and shower unashamedly in front of me. They shake their feathers dry and swoop away contentedly.
This is what Sundays are for. Stopping, slowing, bringing the simplicity and beauty of the natural world into our consciousness. Breathing in a new beginning for a new week. Sipping my cup of hot chamomile tea under the large canvas umbrella and noticing the pink corona of flowers on the potted cactus near my feet. Seeing that the bonsai pine and the bonsai bougainvillea flourish in their ceramic dishes in the shadowed corner of our deck. Listening to the gentle chimes of the tall bronze pipes strung together and swaying reassuringly in the breeze under the eaves of my bedroom wall.
Yes, this is what Sundays are for. Not thinking of the news. Not thinking of the refrigerator needing repairs. Not thinking of my unemployed relatives a thousand miles away, or the heartbreak that their struggles bring to me on other days. Not thinking of my dear friend's cancer that saddens me at other times of silence.
The human soul needs a respite. It needs a private, sheltered room where it can lie down in peace and breathe deeply and still its sorrow or absorption in duties that perennially call. Where it can regain its strength and reclaim its beauty and humanity. Where it can rebirth itself and remember to be strong, not to waver, not to abandon anyone when darkness comes.
The beauty that summons me outdoors restores peace this Sunday, any Sunday, any day I care to truly see, reminding me that Someone much greater than I will always find a way to show us hope and serenity.
Lovely post, Thelma. I felt transported and relaxed. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words on Pets & Their Authors, Thelma.
ReplyDeleteI love the words on your headbar. I'm a big fan of Julia Cameron. She changed the way I looked at writing and the creative process. Have you read The Right to Write, also by her? It's terrific!