Along for the Ride

[Dear Blog-Only Friends.  I'm beginning a new experiment here, with my personal blog.  Just realized that since the first lockdowns of the pandemic, I've been blogging daily, but calling it a Facebook Post.  So many folks, for various reasons, are not hanging out there, and sometimes I wonder if I'm circumventing my own purpose in writing somehow.  Inspired by a book I'm currently reading (The Blogging Church, Bailey, 2007) I'm hoping to expand the spheres a little bit, starting here.  Let's see how it goes.  Thanks for reading, and riding along with me.]

While I'm glad for the rain prediction for tomorrow and even into the weekend, this lovely long stretch of perfect days, especially the still mornings, has been a beautiful bonus to begin our summer sabbath.

Read somewhere that it's really helpful for folks in their 60s to get a dose of sunshine early in the morning. Something about resetting our body clocks I think. Well, I'm getting a good bit of that.

Out in the kayak every morning so far.

This morning I had a little companion join me. Didn't see her land, but noticed she was there, and let her be. My Gramma called these darning-needles, and I've also heard them called damsel flies. Either way, they are a more winsome relative of the already delicate dragon fly.

Even before her arrival, I was reflecting again on how fragile I still sometimes feel after all our collective trauma during the most intensive times of the pandemic. I go there from time to time, remembering it as if it was a bad dream that somehow I now struggle to remember the details of, even as the disturbing mood of it remains.

Never mind. Who can dwell on all of that too much when buoyed up by the very soul of this place, and in the company of a delicate friend. I let it take me to gratitude, these ruminations. Today is a new day, a good day, a strong day.

And even now in these times when it does all seem like one very long, very bad dream, we so very much need to take care of each other. If you need to ride along with me for a while, I understand.

And deep thank yous to all who let me ride with you,
then and now.
I need you so badly.
I hope you know who you are.
I hope you know how amazing you are.