Apr 16, 2013

How Green is My Valley

Like most Americans, my heart is heavy for the people of Boston, and for those affected by the bombs. I lack the insight or understanding to shed any new light or comfort on the situation, beyond the trite sayings all over Facebook.   I'm also saddened by how desensitized I've become to bombs and terrorist acts.

I dashed down to Atlanta on Sunday to see a darling baby, two new mamas, and  two soon to be mamas.   I took the old highway down, in order to prevent highway hypnosis, since I was driving to and thro in the same day. A friend in high school actually got highway hypnosis, as warned about in Driver's Ed.  She missed her exit, and we had to go all the way to the next county to turn around at the next exit.  A major incident, obviously, resulting in a great fear of highway hypnosis.

Anyway, it was so lovely to drive down through teeny little towns, checking out dilapidated old gas stations and watching the leaves bud out, and slowly become greener and greener, as I headed south and to lower elevations.  The highway follows a ridge down through the last bit of the Appalachians into Georgia, and the fields were verdant and lush after the recent rains.  It was so much more enjoyable that the illuminated billboarded monotony of 75 South.

I packed up Dell Harper's wardrobe from her first year of life to take down to little Miss Lucy, who is almost exactly a year younger than Miss Priss.
I held up one of these teeny swimsuits and coo-ed over it to Morgan.  He rather incredulously replied, "What is that?!?"  He was shocked when I told him that it was Dell Harper's swimsuit from last year.  I am so glad that another adorable little baby girl will wear all of my favorite of Dell Harper's outfits.  Annie- I will need lots of pictures of that darling girl!!

I zipped around Atlanta, visiting, laughing, and just loving seeing some of my dearest friends on the planet.  It's amazing how the smiles of good friends can quiet an unsettled soul. Then I had a quiet dinner with the new Vanity Fair at my favorite Whole Foods, right next to my old nanny cottage, and drove home to crawl into bed, as it was far past my bedtime.  However, six hours of uninterrupted alone time as I drove there and back was absolute bliss, to be frank.  Combined with the aforementioned joy, I came home a rejuvenated woman.

This was needed, as a nagging sense of unquiet or discontent has been buzzing in the background of my mind lately.  One of those sad feelings in the pit of your stomach that you just can't quite shake, and I fear I am passing this feeling to those around me, by being snappish or grumpy.

The teeny church on my parents' road had a wonderful reminder for me tonight- "Be as patient with others as God is with you."  What a wonderful ideal to reach for!  Patience is not one of my virtues- I am quick to decisions, to move, and to judge.  I think of the old highway to Atlanta, which is a bit slower, but a far more enjoyable road to travel than the buzzing interstate- I want to try to enjoy the green valleys instead of jumping to the blurred white lines interrupted only by fast food signs.  It is a constant battle, but one I will fight with renewed force!

If Dell Harper could read, I'm sure she would like to point out this post frequently as she has her teething molar toddler moments.  Everyone needs a little God-like patience for those!

Whelp, that's my serious, slightly deep thoughts for the year or perhaps, decade.  I'll be back with custard pie later this week.

8 comments:

  1. Samma I needed this quote today! Thank you. Big hugs from Baltimore.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This post is beautifully written and exactly the reminder I needed this morning. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very well said. Patience really is a virtue.....If only we could all master it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is such a beautiful post. It's amazing how a few hours alone can rejuvenate us so much. I love the quote on the church near your parents house and really need to work harder to incorporate that into my life. Thanks for this great read today!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love taking the back way to Atlanta from Asheville. It's always much less stressful.

    ReplyDelete
  6. So well said - the perfect reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Loved seeing you Faye and love the post :)Miss you

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear from y'all, so drop me a line!