I feel myself mired in the ‘muck’ of August, the waning of summer days
flowers are slowly beginning to fade, and thin
things start to look a little more brown and a little less
fresh
the sun is shining, but clouds keep closing in
and i seem to be settling into a sullenness of sorts
not uncommon this time of year
as school resumes and pieces of me begin once again
to scatter
one son is off already, another soon to follow
one daughter struggles with uncertainty, the other dread
i feel each one .. tugging strings
and ushering tears
it makes no sense to me to wish away days
so instead I resolve to gathering ..
to gathering days of family laughter, memories and inside jokes
to enjoying each others company
and how fortunate we are in that
to gathering sunlight as it streams down in golden
highlights that make the apples on our apple tree blush
to a gathering of hues
the reds and soft browns of our resident cardinal family
two babies this year, possibly twins still travelling with Mom and Dad
the beautiful blues and gorgeous greys of a posse of blue jays
who have decided they should be the first to test the apples for ripeness this year
to gathering thoughts and words that seem to swirl in my head
and in my heart
sometimes like glorious ribbons of silk
and sometimes like a gnarled tangle of knots
to gathering simple joys
and simple pleasures
and brief glimpses of purity
to gathering love and kindnesses
that help to carry me through loss
and heaviness
to gathering friendships and connections
and unconditional grace
and to gathering in myself
when I need to
to feel
and to see
to hear
and to touch
in a life and a love
that gathers me
in
in gracious gratitude
and a peaceful pausing
and returns me to Love
and
to gathering ♥
to gathering
