Today,
we have been held by our beloved house
for 29 years
and I offer up much gratitude
in knowing this
this week,
a big, beautiful maple tree
in the back garden, was
taken down
residing actually in the neighbour’s yard
I had no say in its demise
my husband is thrilled
by all the light this will now let in
most especially over the vegetable garden
while I
am always quite sad to lose
another tree
I remember when we moved in,
the beautiful bonnet of this lovely tree
just so perfectly round
it canopied above in such splendor
of course, it provided the perfect playground
and nesting spot for squirrels
and birds who have called it home
over many years
lamenting the vast open space
that remains in the corner
of where it is now,
gone
the imbalance of our landscape
our
sanctuary
of trees
now missing a
sentinel
yet, to remain here
on this perspective, would be
to miss
the beauty of
what still remains
he tells me to look over the fence
at the fallen logs and
stump
this big beautiful tree was concealing
a very large blight
some kind of internal affliction
that actually left it, struggling
for
health
and perhaps this becomes
a necessary
kindness
on Friday a friend’s beautiful Mother
leaves the world, from the body
she inhabited for 82 years
a remarkable spirit
now
gains her wings
a body that struggled under the weight of
multiple sclerosis for many, many years
this remarkable woman, never lost the beauty and grace
she carried
a strong courageous woman
the absolute epitome of great strength
through adversity
although it had been quite some time,
I saw her, just a few weeks ago
at the wedding of her grandson
and I was completely awed
at how remarkably unchanged she was
the graceful spirit of love and kindness
through each and every difficulty
was all
that shone around her
because of course, that
was precisely what was
in her
what was
her
essential being
love
and what a remarkable legacy to pass
through
her three lovely daughters
so much in this world, to miss
if we somehow fail
to
notice
many a self-help guru will tell you
will
sell you
will in fact, Yell you
Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone!!
what I instead propose, is that we
expand
our comfort zones
find places to notice love
and how it feels
notice strength and courage
and not
in how it is sold
but rather, in how it is lived
inhabited
in the quiet ways
in the un-sensational ways
in the simple, in the grace-filled
in the extraordinary, against-all-odds kind of ways
and in the ordinary
a mother’s love
honour a life
lived through love
lived through kindness
and shared with others
honour a life
by living
everyday
through love
and never fail to notice
the great beauty
of a really good
shade
tree ♥