The quiet of this warm August evening fills my soul. Soon the heavy blanket of darkness that is August will fall abruptly, so unlike the long twilight of earlier summer nights.
This summer has been a difficult one for me and for my extended family. It seems that these precious few weeks of Northeast summer have been filled with stress, worries and sorrow. It will not be a summer we look back on with any degree of pleasure.
Tonight, though, I sit on my porch and ponder the moments of serenity I have enjoyed today. My mug of coffee on the porch in the early morning fog, with just a touch of chill in the air -- a delicious lunch of fried oysters at a quiet riverside restaurant with my husband, watching the boats float past soundlessly from our table on the shore -- a bit of time at the end of the work day to tend my flowers, feed the birds, and sip white wine as I read a few pages from a much-loved book, while a supper of cold chicken and potato salad awaited us in the fridge.
The weekend ahead of me will be busy and tiring, and a worrisome medical test is scheduled for Monday morning, but for now, I sit on my beloved porch, listening to the gentle cooing of the sparrows as they settle into the ivy for the night, and I wait for that moment when the August darkness envelops us with its soothing reminder that life does go on -- seasons change -- our troubles and worries are transient. The sparrows roosting contentedly in the ivy tonight are not worried about tomorrow -- they are safely tucked away for a night of rest, thankful for full stomachs and a peaceful place to sleep.
I will try to carry this thought in my heart as I face the responsibilities and worries of the next few days. I will try to worry less about what MAY happen and spend more time enjoying the multitude of pleasures that greet us each day. I will hold close to my heart the long-remembered phrase, "This too shall pass."
And, for tonight, I will soak in the peace of this gentle August evening.
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