Becky

As Becky pulled away from my country home this morning, I found myself teary-eyed & sad, and filled with joy at the same time. The past two days with my dear friend have been wonderful. There was no agenda, no time frame, nothing. We just "lived."

I know I've been breathing, and walking, and talking during the past 30 days, but have I really been living? I grabbed "You've Got a Friend" book from my little red shelf this afternoon as I finished writing her a quick note and searched for the quote I knew I had seen/read before. After skimming three or four of the pages, I found it.

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then to rest afterward."
~ Spanish Proverb

Isn't that what summer is all about? Why do we as a society insist on filling our days with activity? Are we afraid that if we simply sit & rest that someone might just accuse us of being lazy? Are we scared to really look at ourselves in the mirror and not just quickly glance. Rush, plan, do... those descriptive words seemed to have been a constant in my life during the month of June ... and even part of July. But, since Monday, rushing, doing, planning, and making haven't been a part of my daily life. And boy, oh boy, has it been refreshing. I've still managed to lose a child, hold another one down during his blood draw, and mow the yard, but I haven't been "rushed."

The cover of my Country Living magazine says in big, bold letters {Carefree Summer Living}. Other bold words are "Low-fuss" ... "Relaxed" ... hmmm... interesting isn't it?!

There are days when simply doing nothing is the most beautiful thing of all ... and someday I'll have it all figured out. I'll know how to balance the chaos with the calm. I'll know how to say no and possibly avoid a storm or two. I'll know when it's best to seek & when it would do me good to hide and rest.

The remainder of my summer holds activities, gatherings, dinners, friends, parenting, harvesting, visiting, meetings, classes ... and in the midst of all those "wonderful" things that highlight my life, I'm going to try my very, very best to remember my 2 days with Becky. The days when "nothing" was best. The days when all was calm & bright, even through the storms. The days when I enjoyed having my friend here just "being."