Backyard Blessings

Backyard Blessings

Several days ago, Life Changes were the topic of conversation on That's Life. Huge, mega life changes, as in move out of state, away from family, know only a few people where we are going, new neighborhood, new church, new home, new everything.  Well, that Life Change day is here.  We leave in just about 30 hours for our new destination. 

I sat in our current backyard this morning sipping a piping hot cup of coffee while the movers were moving furniture and boxes into the POD.  I felt a great sense of peace and contentment amidst the chaos.  I thoroughly enjoy sitting in the backyard and listening to the birds gingerly call to each other.  My roses are in full bloom so the entire yard was filled with the scent of roses.  Whoa!  What a gift! What a blessing!  I was thinking it was the nature in my backyard's way of saying "Farewell, old friend. You have taken good care of us and we thank you for helping us grow and become beautiful." 

One thought led to another and I remembered so many things that happened in this backyard - the Women's Breakfast, our son and daughter-in-laws engagement party, pizza parties, my father-in-laws memorial with the entire family sharing a meal on a beautiful summer afternoon and then of course, Great Oaks Preschool - kids running and playing and having a blast, family Game Nights, many years of Easter Egg hunts, playing super hero with my grandson, burying Ziggy, my son's pet lizard,  sitting on the roof and looking at the stars or the fireworks that seemed to explode right over our yard, the huge owl that would swoop across the yard each evening looking for dinner, the raccoon that got trapped behind the shed, the chicken that flew into our yard and fell between the sheds, the baby bunnies that were born under the sheds, the husband and wife ducks that came each morning to eat the sunflower seeds, the squirrel that traversed the telephone wire above our fence always stopping to taunt the dogs with a wild shake of his tail and his lively chatter.  So very many cool, happy, blessed memories -- and then it happened, the tears began to flow.  Happy tears of life well lived.  Happy tears of family fun.  Happy tears of friends gathering in a place that was filled with love and laughter and shenanigans.  Critters large and small that felt welcome, safe and comfortable visiting our backyard. (The gophers were not so welcome, however.)

This backyard has always been a place of happiness for me.  A place to feel blessed. A place to think, draw, write, read and just sit and be myself - soaking in the quietness of the backyard.  I pray that I will find that same peace, contentment and blessing in the backyard of our new home. When we were there a couple months back, I kinda got the feeling that I will.  I wonder if it is not so much the location of the backyard as it is the state of mind of the person that is in the backyard. 

Backyard blessings to each of you, wherever you are!