I am soaking up the nature around our apartment complex. They've left a wide lawn and set up two swings, and planted maple and rhododendron trees around the buildings.
This weekend I took a book, a blanket, and a pillow to the swing and simply dozed, my body drinking in the sunshine. It was glorious.
As a child I was forced to go outside and play, but as I grow older I want to spend more and more time out-of-doors. I love running and jumping in the waves at the beach, I love sitting on top of a mountain, and I thrill to the idea of sitting in a swing in autumn or racing across a prairie on a horse.
I think I could live outside.
Nature feeds me - its beauty is a constant reminder that Someone reached down and touched this itty bitty piece of dirty water and made something beautiful out of it.
I'm reading Madeleine L'Engle's "Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith & Art," and it is inspiring. This is the second time I've read through it, but each time I am reminded of what it is to be two things at once: human and spirit, Christian and artist, wife and individual...now I really can't wait for November.
Madeleine also talks about just "being": Taking time to be instead of to converse, to think, to do all the things on our to-do list that aren't as important as our spiritual journey toward the Father. Just being allows us to, well...be.
This morning I got up, fixed myself some oatmeal and orange juice, and sat down by our window. I noticed I needed to sweep and almost got up but then I settled myself a little more firmly on a cushion and decided just to breath for a few moments.
Of course, I did get the sweeping done, and the dishes washed, and lunch fixed, but those few moments were really important to me this morning.
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