Flora and Fauna

I grew up in the North with a big backyard, no fences, and a woods at our property line. My parents always had a big vegetable garden and flowerbeds around the house, and they were always interested in the different birds that were native to that area. A birdbath was provided in the summer and a bird feeder (some would call it a "squirrel" feeder!) in the winter months. I failed to appreciate my parents' fondness for the flora and fauna. Gardening seemed a lot of endless work, and watching birds was...well...boring!

My perspective seemed to miraculously change once I had a house of my own, a yard, and then children. Planting a vegetable garden was initially an economical decision. I didn't anticipate the magic that occurs when you see that small shoot pop out of the ground, grow into a healthy plant and then produce green beans! Then when you have enough to put into a pot and cook for dinner, you can't believe the marvelous flavor and freshness. It's absolutely addicting. Ahhh...now I get it. This is why my parents were willing to expend time and energy to maintain a garden. Of course, I think there might be a direct connection between the culinary delight of freshly picked vegetables and the degree of physical energy output (and soreness) required in the cultivation.

The appreciation of birds (lizards, snails, toads, worms, and other critters) has come a lot later in my life. A frenzied, busy lifestyle is not conducive to noticing this rather silent and often hidden aspect of creation. It's only with a slower life pace that I began to see these inhabitants around my house and in my yard. They were there all along. I was just moving too fast to see them. Indeed, they often seemed more of an annoyance than a marvel.

We have several ponds in our neighborhood. Currently, one of them is very populated with white egrets, cormorants, ducks and sea gulls. (Yeah, I know, we're not even near the ocean! Tell them that.) On my morning walk today, I noticed the ducks and cormorants were very busy paddling back and forth through the water, looking for bugs, fish, and who knows what. The egrets, on the other hand, stand like ghostly statues on the water edge, not moving. But they aren't asleep. They are watching the water and waiting - waiting for the fish to come to them. Because the egrets are so still, the fish probably figure the egret legs are "sticks" and don't notice. When the timing is right, the egret will spear the fish with its beak. Two very different ways of securing food for the day.

I identify much more with the egret at this time of my life. Duck paddling looks impressive, and you eventually get what you're looking for. But the egret seems to have mastered the art of patience, strategy, and conservation. Work smarter, not harder!

Seat Belts

The other day my 21 month old granddaughter had "had it" with not getting her way. Since we were not at home at the time and had to drive home, putting her in her car seat with seat belts all snug and constricting didn't help her outlook. As she fussed and fumed, trying to break out of her confinement, I continued to drive the car. She did not like her situation and wanted us to know it. Her mother, knowing that the tantrum would just have to run its course, calmly reached back to the car seat and placed her hand on Katie Lynn's leg and with all sincerity said to her, "I love you." She wanted her daughter to know that she heard her, recognized her frustration and loved her anyway.

Later, I thought how similar we are to this little child. We find ourselves in unpleasant and sometimes even painful circumstances - physical limitations, financial crisis, rejection, grief or personal losses - and our emotions carry us off into dark places. We are angry, lonely, disappointed or afraid. Why doesn't God remove me from this situation? Doesn't he love me? We don't understand that he is there with us all the time, wanting to use these situations in our lives to make us stronger and to encourage us to trust him more. His reassuring hand is on us as he whispers, "I do love you." We must stop screaming long enough to hear it.

The Encore!

Just in the last few days, the area we live in has burst into the vibrant colors of fall. After a heavy downpour earlier this afternoon, the sun came out and lit up the yellows, oranges and reds and made the colors more intense than they have been. Against a beautiful background of blue sky and huge, white cumulus clouds, the landscape seemed alive. A dramatic shift in the wind direction soon brought with it much cooler temperatures and cloudy skies within a few hours.

One cannot predict the moment when the trees reveal their beauty so dramatically. After weeks of watching the leaves darken in color, I begin to lament that perhaps the colors won't appear this year. And then...it happens.

Springtime has its own beauty and drama. Everything seems so "green" and fresh and new. There is the marvel of watching seemingly "dead" branches come alive again as the creative juices course through their veins once more. New growth. New life. New color. New strength. Likewise, when we are young, we have boundless energy, a desire to grow and try new things. Life is something to be explored and experienced. We see everything with hope and promise. Our culture idolizes this time of life, and individuals spend enormous time and money in trying to either recapture it or make it last forever.

But I find great comfort in seeing that God has provided a tremendous "encore" in his creation which occurs, not at the beginning of life, but near the end of the life cycle. The colors in the leaves are there all the time, but it is only when the chlorophyll recedes in the tree that these amazing colors are revealed to all. Isn't that the way our lives should be? After a lifetime of living, working, producing, shouldn't our latter years reveal the beauty that has been there all the time, hidden from view? If God has been our strength and sustainer all along, then more of him will be revealed as more and more is taken from us in this world. We become less and he becomes more. He has provided a perfect example!

A Special Gift

It never gets old. It never ceases to amaze me. The birth of a new child.

This week, we were given the privilege to see our first grandson come into the world and begin his journey here. My thoughts once again turn to how something so complicated, so intricate and amazing can be created in just 9 months. (I'm sure my daughter-in-law would challenge my thinking that this is a "short" amount of time!) And then...in one day, that child emerges from a watery world into one filled only with air...and he BREATHES, and he hears, and he feels, he sees, and he eats. What a miracle to behold! What a reminder that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made". Welcome, little Matthew!

For you created my inmost being; 

you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 

your works are wonderful, 

I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you 

when I was made in the secret place, 

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 

Your eyes saw my unformed body; 

all the days ordained for me were written in your book 

before one of them came to be. 

How precious to me are your thoughts,[a] God! 

How vast is the sum of them! 

Were I to count them, 

they would outnumber the grains of sand— 

when I awake, I am still with you.

- Psalm 139:13-18

Morning Walks

We live in a 30+ year old neighborhood. Many of the sidewalks have succumbed to the pressure of tree roots pushing up beneath them. I am seeing more trees stumps in the past few years - evidence that many trees have lived out their 30-year life span. And we have our share of rental homes whose owners have little motivation to keep yards and flower gardens neat and tidy. But I still enjoy the rather eclectic nature of our neighborhood (maybe this is a little of the 60s still in me!).

Not having a neighborhood association that is intent on legislating the visual appeal and uniformity of each home, everyone here is pretty much free to express their tastes in paint and landscaping. Granted, you do have to tolerate some of the extremes - multiple lawn ornaments, artificial flowers stuck into pots and flowerbeds, and a lawn that has gravel and rocks instead of grass (allergies?) - but you also get to see homes and yards of those who have done a beautiful job using their resources and creative abilities.

We have homes backing up to three large ponds in the neighborhood. Others have homes built on very steep slopes, making landscaping and mowing a real challenge. I enjoy seeing what these owners have come up with to adapt to their surroundings to make their homes and lawns lovely to view and also functional. I always get new ideas for my own yard as I embark on my morning walks and return with a greater appreciation for where I live.

New Beginnings

I am entering a new chapter of my life, and it's very exciting - being a grandmother.

While other women I know seem to be able to empathize and commiserate with others regardless of the event, trial or challenge that faces them, I never seem to be able to enter into another's experience fully until I am placed in a similar situation.

I used to work in a department next to Payroll. The women whose job was to monitor and produce everyone else's paycheck just happened to be all in the same age range - in their 60s. Each one had her own cubicle to call "home", and each 6'x8' domain was packed with photos of grandchildren, crafts made by grandchildren, cute little figurines of children, etc. Personally, I didn't "get it". What's wrong with these people? Their whole lives revolve around their grandchildren!

Well, I haven't taken grandparenting to quite this level, but I have to admit I'm smitten. I'm not sure what exactly happens in that 25-30 years between bringing your own little one home from the hospital and seeing that first grandchild, but it is one, miraculous transition! Who needs Six Flags? This ride is all I need!