Sharon's blog: This day

Sometimes we plan our days; sometimes our days plan us.  Today planned itself.

It was a gorgeous day, 55 degrees filled with sunshine and I was drinking my morning coffee when I got the phone call.  A friend had passed away suddenly and with no warning; another friend called to tell me. We decided we needed to spend some time with the family, see if there was anything we could do to help, since the closest extended family members lived some hours away.

We got there, stayed till more family came, then left just a little after noon. We decided to take a drive, explore the back roads, find solace where we could.  The day was simply glowing with sunshine. We were talking about death, of course, and were so thankful that our friend had not suffered, she'd simply faded, as if in sleep. Our words shifted to those who are left behind in times like this; how difficult it is to be the lone tree left standing.  She and I both know about that.

As we drove on, we began to notice the few buildings we saw on the long stretches of back roads.  Many were abandoned, many were damaged by time and weather, many were barely holding on.

But oh!  They were so beautiful on this golden day.

We talked then about the huge old trees we saw, lone trees standing, sometimes.  My friend wondered how old the trees were; older than the buildings, I guessed. 

"How can you tell?" she asked.

"The scars, the shape, the lean of them," I said.  "And so many of them are holding on to the knolls  where they grow."

The trees and the land they hold on to are much more secure than the old buildings around them.

After the turmoil of the morning, it was the blue of the sky, the gold of the sun, and the endurance of old wood that soothed us.  Nature, doing what nature does best, making a rough day so much more tolerable.

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