A little welcome rain this evening. The smooth grey dome of the sky has broken into small patches of light, some darker clouds and in the valley drifts of mist and falling rain. Somehow it is much less depressing and I am happy to see the sidewalks wet and glistening, and the little thin lawn we have in the front yard greening up quite nicely in the evening light.
Monday morning, and I was full of plans for the week. Black bananas to fold into muffins, and a nice quick hamburger soup that should last the week for lunches - early morning energy prompted me to get the soup and muffins made before coffee time, and after that an hour in the garden with my back turned resolutely on Charles' creative pruning of the cedar globe. It fancies itself as a shrub, but Himself sees it as a tree!!!! As long as he leaves lots of shelter for the little birds who hover and dive inside its sheltering branches.
After a small period after lunch with my toes up and my eyes closed I went to the post office to mail two diverse cards, - one in sympathy and the other a celebrity birthday wish. On to the grocery store where I picked up a pot of brilliant reticulata Iris to take to my dear friend Joan, who lives now with Alzheimers.
It has been a while since I have visited her, and I have heard others say that she doesn't recognize them, but when I walked in and she saw me coming her eyes lit up and she raised her arms in welcome from the wheelchair she was in, and I was touched to know that I still lived in her mind and her memory.
We have been friends for over sixty years. Joan is our younger daughter's Godmother, and she has been closer than a sister to me for all of the years I have known her. It warms my heart that I can sit and hold her hand, and talk to her about our families, about things that happened in the early years when we were still young, and she can respond. Sometimes I have to guess at what she is saying in her whispery voice, but always I can see the response in her eyes.
I ask myself why I cannot take half an hour out of my day to go and sit with her and bring pleasure to us both...why do we let the small duties and the worrisome thoughts that fill our lives distract us from the most important moments we could spend in kindness and love? I pray to be more mindful and less neglectful, and I write this here to imprint it on my heart as a reminder.
Friendship is always a sweet responsibility................
Kahil Gibran
3 comments:
These little acts of kindness are heart warming both to the giver and to the recipient Hildred - your iris reticulata are so beautiful and she will get such pleasure from them.
"Happy Bus Orchard", that's where the double rainbow was taken from.
Dave - how nice to hear that property referred to as Happy Bus Orchard. Until last July (when we moved to town) we lived two orchards west from Happy Bus. I miss those wide skies and wonderful rainbows.
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