Winter Lake

Wonder

“All that is gold does not glitter, not all who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.”

J.R.R. Tolkien

The winter lake looked like a field of snow at sunrise, and now, in full daylight shows little islands popping up where they did not exist before. Every winter, the lake is lowered about ten feet to allow for cleanup of shoreline, access to sea walls for repair, and to reduce damage to docks and boats from ice—though in Alabama, ice is not a big threat. What happens is transformation to a shallow sea dotted by tiny brown islands. Many people find it ugly, but I like wandering what once was lake bed simply to discover what's there. Liza and I poke along, she on her minuscule legs, sniffing every rock, and I, bundled like an Eskimo against the cold. When the temperatures fall into the 30's in the deep South, we nearly freeze to death. I can hear the collective groan among Minnesotans right now—up to their armpits in snow.

I am more grateful for the change of seasons now than I once was. What a gift it is to watch the world wake up and go to sleep, die and be reborn. What a wonderful planet. How did we get so lucky as to be born here? Surely there are other places, and other peoples, on other spheres circling other suns—but this one is ours and it is an absolute wonder. My friend, Annette, shared George Takei's video on Facebook this morning, of people walking a man-made “trail,” a scaffolding, really, 7,000 feet up on the side of Mount Huashan in China—inching along, taking “selfies,” trying to pass each other while being held only by a belay rope attached to a chain, wrapped around solid rock. So completely crazy! So human! So beautiful! Aren't we a strange species? Aren't you glad to be one of us?

In all the chaos, in all the warring and shifting fortunes, power grabs and political stupidity, isn't it great to remember that there are still good people all around you, in every country. They are doing good things, helping one another, and being joyful. We can so easily lose track of that. I hope that during these end-of-year holidays, you can look away from all that is wrong with the world, and find some of what is right. Perhaps you will discover the gold that does not glitter, and become one who wanders without being lost.

                                                            In the Spirit,

                                                                Jane