Thursday, November 20, 2008

The Ensuing Chaos


Six months and eighteen bonus days.

This is what stands before me as task items to be done worth of putting away, rearranging, and reassembling after such a lengthy trek:
  • Three school years' worth of books.
  • A new wardrobe (Thanks, Mom!)
  • Keller Klutter.
  • Receipts for tax information.
  • Mis-routed packages to be returned to UPS.
  • Packages to be mailed.
The list goes on.

Somehow, in a strange way, instead of feeling stressed about it all, a sense of peace and order ensconces me.

As I consider this overall sense of well-being, I'm suddenly transported to one of my favorite stops as I leave the Nebraska sandhills: Ash Hollow National Park.

The children groan every time I make this byway a pitstop. I simply can't help myself. The prairie is about to give way to interstates and truck stops. Sandstone cliffs which once jostled caravans of covered wagons on the Oregon Trail are soon to be left far behind.

The silent shimmer of grasses blowing in the wind, the rustle of leaves on the trees which dot the riverside, and the chirping of birds singing gaily in the sun captivate me.

No matter the season, this tucked away corner is but a sliver of home in my heart. If I had my way, in the Nebraska sandhills I would live.


How is it then, that I can be so content in this Mississippi landscape?
*Yesterday's photo, and today's trees were taken at Ash Hollow National Park by your's truly.




2 comments:

Dawn Sodini said...

May you have all the time you need to accomplish those things on your list. And enough peace and quiet to carry you a while as I suspect the quiet at least won't last for long.

gilSilvers said...

Your last 2 sentences ring with expressive longing. Within them I found a gem of Haiku poetry:

Nebraska sandhills
Sliver of home in my heart
In Mississippi

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