The sanctuary? It wasn't even mine, but it allowed me to breathe. The half acre we live on is on a suburban street. What made that okay for me was the deep thicket that ran all along our backyards on an adjoining property. It's been the link of "country" for me for the last 23 years.
One day, returning home from work this autumn, it was gone. Bulldozed down, and burning in piles, the red clay earth was laid bare and stripped of its lush growth. The earth had been robbed and the peace I had taken from it is no more to be had. The sound of the wind that brushed the leaves and branches is no more. My eyes will no longer take in the soothing pallette of green, but will rake across newly erected apartment buildings.
Change is harder to accept as I grow older. I feel that those who are most successful at aging gracefully and finding true happiness are those who appreciate the past, but who embrace the changes that time brings. I want to be one of those folks. In other more blunt words, I need to "put on my big girl panties." It's time to take the side path and create another haven. It won't be the same, but it can still be what my innermost being needs - it may even be better.
The appearance of Spring reminds me of the promise of a new beginning - it buds with hope and blossoms with joy. Change is ongoing, and beauty is to be found everywhere. It can be overlooked or it can be appreciated and enjoyed.
It is time to get back into the dirt...
Some glimpses of what Spring is bringing in my little corner...