This thing that you just don't get until you've found yourself living through the dust and dirt of it all.
This thing that magically becomes a part of you that you wouldn't trade for anything.
And it only happens during certain parts of the day and in only certain parts of the year.
It's usually in the early morning or right at dusk when the sun begins to make its way into your world or right out to the other side of the world.
It can be missed or not seen at all because of the crazy, rushed, busy lives most of us lead - driving, doing, cooking, cleaning, bossing ... you get my drift.
But once you see it ... you never want to miss it again.
It's that mist-like "hover" of protection that seems to hang on to every ounce of life it has before disappearing.
It's the feeling of love and warmth and "home" that I've learned to embrace.
...............
This time of year - when the days begin to offer warmth and the night comes cool and clear - is just the beginning of another season of {hovering dust}.
And as that warmth tiptoes out of the day and I look out on the horizon and see that dust just lingering ... trying to hold on to the last bits of day, I'm going to grab the piece of paper next to me or the journal that is filling beyond 1000...
and I'm going to remember that there is so much - so very, very much - to be thankful for.
998. I Love Lucy.
999. a forgotten lunch pail and tears shed.
1000. hearing my own voice and noticing a change.
1003. dinner to celebrate another year of life
1004. dessert.
1005. rain drops.
1006. aloe.
1007. $ lost … makes me appreciate having ever had it at all.
1008. receipts.
1010. fresh cinnamon rolls.
1011. Wade & Bryn.
1012. clear cellophane.
1013. primary colors.
1014. alliteration.
1015. lessons on “less” with 1st graders.
1016. “May the 4th be with you” … and messages left.
1018. 24 paper bag nests
1019. elementary aged kids and their inquisitive minds.
1020. a garden tilled and soil ready.
1022. sprinklers and 2 happy little boys.
1023. Coke Zero for the 1st time.
1024. dress up and glass slippers.
1025. sleep that comes before I realize it.
1026. amazing lunches = pounds gained.
1027. extra time to clean up.
1028. Becky and the surprise.
1029. a room filled with educators.
1030. memories worth sharing.
1033. heavy eyes and a happy heart.
1034. “lunch sized” margaritas.
1035. conversations that seem to be about something, but really are about nothing.
1036. phone calls to Bozeman.
1037. Starbucks.
1039. Rocky Heights t-shirts
1041. ice cream treats shared.
1042. painted hands.
1043. Miss Susy.
1044. eggs placed in nests.
1045. the Magic School Bus.
1046. ears that listen.
1047. art lessons and space creations.
1048. the FFA plant sale.
1049. new boots.
1050. Pat Beard and the “magic” at Hamleys.
1051. Trigger.
1052. safe travels for the white Tahoe filled with family.
1056. no wind for the final track meet.
1060. a beautiful day in so many different ways.
1061. a mom who isn’t afraid to speak up.
1062. corndogs, cake and Analee’s birthday.
1063. a flash-flood and the awe and excitement it brought.
1064. fresh asparagus.
1066. Donny Walchli.
1067. enough noodles to make it work.
1068. another egg hunt.
1070. licorice in the mail from Papa George.
1072. the word “encouragement.”
1073. sleeping in.
1074. a boy with the gift of helping others.
1076. Mother’s Day flowers.
1077. pictures with mom.
1078. cousins, four-wheelers, and hay shed adventures.
1080. $5 pizza and drinks from McDonalds.
1081. BEEF.
1083. a garden planted.
1084. 2 miles and 5 pound weights.
1085. grandma’s homemade ice cream recipe.
1086. tulips, a bookmark and hysterical cards.
1087. meadowlarks, gravel roads and no traffic.
1088. sun tea.
1089. imperfect pictures - but perfectly imperfect in every single way.
1090. a bath tub snooze for Mack.
........................
do you know of that dust - that {lingering dust}- that I'm talking about ?
the dust that maybe you were the one to create and not see at all?
the dust - that if you're not careful, you might mistake for a curse instead of a blessing.
