Beautiful
Early Summer
“What
is so rare as a day in June?”
James
Russell Lowell
I’m
sitting on my screen-porch at beautiful daybreak in early June. The birds sing,
the sun shines, and it’s 62 degrees. The magnolias are in bloom and their heady,
musky scent rides the air currents bringing images of shady hammocks, straw
hats, and mint julips. Ah, June—you have not yet turned your burners on for the
brutal roasting of summer in Alabama. Let us enjoy this oasis while we may.
I just
read a blog called “Secrets of an Old Woman” about aging. She just returned
from her second trip to Florence, Italy this year and has some tips about solo
travel for independent (and perhaps contrarian) older people. She recommends first
that you not talk about future travel plans too much or too far ahead of time
lest some of your dearly beloveds begin “offering opinions you didn’t ask
for and certainly don’t need.” I chuckled at this, thinking what my sons
would say if I launched off to Europe on my own. She (whoever she is) says, “Don’t
let agism get the best of you!” I say, Preach it, sister!
Travel
is something my cronies and I talk about while sitting in the courtyard at
Harry and Sharon’s place, under the spreading Japanese maple, while watching
the splashing robins in their fountain and drinking $14.00/lb. coffee. Ah, June,
people of privilege and people of poverty take their leisure in your lovely, gentle mornings. At Coffee Klatch yesterday, we discussed driving long distances, the importance of having a travel buddy, the possibilities of
September in Austin, or visiting friends in New Mexico. Just
sitting in the shade talking about it is travel of a sort, don’t you know? When you’ve
lived this long, you have solid recall of long days on the road, in the summer heat,
on desert highways. It’s better to just talk about it, trust me.
As I
sit here, a young hawk flies from tree to tree, swooping at squirrels on the
ground. So far, he’s having no luck with breakfast and the squirrels don’t seem
too worried about him. What a privilege to sit quietly and watch—I can almost
hear Elton John singing “The Circle of Life” in the background.
I hope
this June day finds you discovering the joys of early summer, the garden, the
birdsong, the dappled shade. Gratitude is a good way to start the day, and just
as good a way to end it, too. As they say down here below the Mason-Dixon line, "God is good," (most of the time, but we are coming up on hurricane season, Lord). Just saying...
In
the Spirit,
Jane
No comments:
Post a Comment