The Amazing Other Room

I'm sitting in my backyard.
It's 1040, Sunday morning.
And I'm not in church.

So tired.
Couldn't do it.


I'm not one to miss - nor to encourage missing - but I'm sure that my "pushed to the limit" body/soul/spirit would not have absorbed anything today and so I made my decision.

Thinking about what has escaped my radar this week, this spring.
I've got through the shifts, did the Run, camped the May Long, made the YC trip and got the garden in.


But I'm sitting here in my horribly unkempt back yard that is hugely embarrassing to me -

And THIS is what I've missed:

• I've missed the feel of the wind on my face fighting my product-laden hair, teasing it to come out and play
• I've missed the warmth of the sun on my knees, penetrating my cozy yoga pants
• I've missed the sound of the wind shaking the huge elm trees in my neighbor's yard
• I've missed the smell of "outside".  Can that be bottled?
• I've missed the "I'm cold, nope, I'm hot"
• I've even missed taking care of my dirt and my weeds (aka, lawn)

When the first snow falls, I always feel a sense of loss - "well, there goes my OTHER ROOM" (my back yard).  Soon fall and winter routines continue and I become grateful that I don't have to caretake the yard and the break is welcome.

• Cue winter schedules
• Cue Christmas
• Cue school routines
• Cue everything that sucks up attention and time.

Spring arrives...

• Cue warm sun, coaxing us back outside, back into that OTHER ROOM that lay neglected
• Cue.  Every.  Single.  Job.  Ever.  Needed.  And. Do. It.  Now.  Before.  The.  Neighbors.  Hate.  You.

Goodbye Living room

Hello other room.

You need so much attention.

Is it too much?

Or is it "just right"?

Is it obligation

Or is it....

God

Calling me back outside to nature?

Put down the phone

Put down the lists

Put away the appointments

"Come back to nature

Come back to Me.

Let the wind blow and shake you

Let the sun control your body 

and make you smile

and make you sweat

Let the clouds 

amaze you

amuse you

Let the clock 

go unwatched 

and

Watch the time pass by 

unnoticed.

Let the green grass be 

Vividly green

And the yellow dandelions be

Beautiful

In spite of themselves

Let the beans be the first to 

burst through the dry dirt

and

Let the tomatoes move from 

 spindly legs to

arms of steel

Ready to hold rosy treasures

THIS

IS

THE

AMAZING

OTHER ROOM

And I don't want to miss a thing.

"The earth is the Lord's

And EVERYTHING in it."

Psalm 24:2

(....maybe even the tent caterpillars...)