May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;
The spirit of Christmas which is peace;
The heart of Christmas which is love.
~Ada V. Hendricks
This happened a few years ago. While looking for another post, I came across this. I might as well reblog it, right? I have since moved away from this area.
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I’m willing to bet you can’t find a park today that’s not crowded with hot sweaty people, noisy kids, dogs barking, a Frisbee flying, and hot dogs grilling. Well, I have a news flash. I’m in a beautiful park right now, quiet, serene, and no sounds but nature, or an occasional vehicle driving by. Birds of different varieties are 
singing their whimsical tunes; the tin roof above me is creaking, compressing with the sun beating down on it. It’s making a ticking sound, and I’ve had to turn around to see if someone was there. Tree tops are the only place you’ll see a leaf rustle. There’s barely a breeze, the flag is still. I squint to take in the sight of the true cerulean blue sky with only a puff of white here and there, in that, of perfect cumulus clouds.
The temperature is 91 degrees F. It must be too hot for even a mosquito, thank goodness! Not that many flies buzzed around as I enjoyed my Black Forest Ham sandwich from Subway. Looking in front of me there is a run-off from the stream down a little ways, and it sits stagnant with nowhere to go. It looks like the perfect place for snakes to be skimming the surface or creeping through the grass, but luckily I ha
ven’t seen any. I don’t like snakes so this is a good thing.
My reason for being here today is to finish writing the ending to a book I’m writing. Looking at this beauty I had to take a minute to enjoy the green of the trees, the quiet of the day, and wonder if I want to go for a walk in the miles of trails before me. Down the path a little ways is a covered bridge over the small stream I mentioned earlier. The water is running fast, splashing against the rocks in its way.
One other vehicle sits in the parking lot, but I see no other human in sight. I don’t hear voices in the woods. I’m expecting to see a deer make its appearance, or at least a squirrel. Are they sleeping in the shade beneath a bushy pine tree or nestled in amongst the cool leaves high in the trees? Suddenly, a loud bird whistle breaks the restrained silence, calling its mate and getting an answer. 
The whistle isn’t familiar, but much louder than the others.
It must be time to write that ending now, but my hands are sweating in this heat. I don’t think I will ever get enough of what nature has to offer here, but I won’t get that book finished if I continue to immerse myself in this peace and quiet. Until I have my next quiet summer moment, I’ll be home in the air conditioner writing the end! Just in time I see, for the lawn men are here to cut the grass!
Try to find your piece of serenity today.
Late 2019 / Early 2020
