There’s a paved road near our farm where the red bud trees stand tall on both sides, intermingling with live oaks, maples, sand plums, and cedars. They are all so old and strong that they interlace their branches over the road almost enough to form a true canopy. The red buds are blooming right now, that shade of purplish pink that is all at once both hot and cool. If you are lucky enough to drive this road early in the morning, then you get to see the eastern sunlight slicing through those flowering branches in great, shimmering planes of color. Everything is washed pastel for a while, even the asphalt, and it is all so beautiful you can almost forget about thickening traffic patterns and urban sprawl. This beauty is intense, and it is equally fleeting. Soon the tissue explosions will give way to green leaves, a new season of beauty in its own right.
No matter how many plans I make, they seem to change; and the new plans tend to be even better than what I had in mind. No matter how much I celebrate the details and beauty of life, I am constantly surprised by how good life can be. Nearly every day something has been happening here to prove to me that not only are things “for the best;” but they are amazing. Brief seasons of beauty surprise us, nourish us, then bow out gracefully for the next act.
Early yesterday morning, after driving through the pastel tunnel near our farm, I had the chance to see my youngest daughter twirl around and squeal tenderly, celebrating her plans for prom this weekend. I got to see the glow in her young cheeks and the sparkle in her pretty brown eyes, and I got to feel the simplicity and warmth of her hugs. She is as much a young woman now as she has ever been my little girl, and it is the most amazing feeling to see this transformation. I am so thankful for it.
Later in the day I went downtown with Handsome and his sweet Dad to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial Museum. I had never been in all these years, and visiting with these men who are so special to me was an unforgettable experience. I had been scraping hard lately to maintain my attitude for the upcoming marathon, and yesterday changed everything. After internalizing what the first responders endured, I now want to run this race more than ever. If they can to do that work for nineteen days straight, then I can certainly run for four hours to honor them.
After that I bought our groceries for the week and was thankful all over again that we are able to eat so well. I felt deeply grateful for our health, too. The farm was happy and silly when Handsome and I both got home in the afternoon, and we enjoyed the baby chicks for a long time. I cooked dinner and shrugged off little projects I thought were so important, instead spending the evening with my husband, my best friend. I had horrible nightmares overnight, but he woke me up and held me close.
I don’t know what I’m trying to say here except that Love drenched every minute of yesterday, just as it does every day if we will only notice. The red buds are blooming and life is good.
XOXOXOXO