week 9/16

On Retreat – Welcome –

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The plans I had for posting this week kind of got away from me. Every day I stated something that I wanted to share, but then never got the keyboard out. Then there were family obligations and therapy and packing for my retreat, which I’m on right now.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a travel piece on what items tend to be forgotten. Well, here I am traveling and I’ve managed to forget things I actually needed: my eyeglass case for my glasses to sleep in, a laundry bag, a. nightlight, which this room really does need, and a hairbrush which the mirror in my room will attest to how much that was needed this morning.

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#trees

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“Time ground to a halt and the trees whispered in the language of God and nature about steadfastness and resilience—gently saying that one could be constantly stirred yet not moved, bent but not broken, that a thing well grounded and deeply rooted could ever stand.”

— Charles M. Blow, “Fire Shut Up in My Bones”

It’s very windy here and this was perfect; and beautiful.

Leap Day

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It’s funny. In addition to the whole four years we’ve had waiting for today, we’ve had two entire months of expectation. Leap Day. A free day. An extra day. The problem is that the amount of pressure of something like that is palpable. I must do something special today or it will have been wasted. Those of us in school or at work today don’t have that craziness going on in their heads. Many of us don’t have it at all.

This morning, I overslept, felt sick and went back to sleep, stayed in bed much longer than I wanted to, spent about half an hour driving around trying to find the perfect place to spend my extra day; my extra special day before I ended up in a usual haunt.

Do I want a free lunch? I could have one, but I don’t really want that place. And I don’t really want a salad. That was the free thing. I also don’t want a cheeseburger. Do I want somewhere I’ve never been before? Then my husband gets mad because he likes to try out new places together. There’s a Korean BBQ place that we both are looking forward to. Should I go to an old favorite? Fast food? Absolutely not. Starbucks? I love Starbucks, but, I don’t know, it didn’t feel right.

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