"What's saving your life right now?" asks Modern Mrs. Darcy every year on the midpoint of winter, February 2nd. (You can see lots of people answering that question in the comments at that post, and here's Anne's February 2 post, with more of people's responses.) Where I live in Paraguay it's summer right now, so ask me this again in August.
Even though it's not cold, and it's hard for me to imagine winter weather, today I had to say goodbye to my baby, who is all grown up now, as he flew back to the northern hemisphere.
When we got home from the airport, it was still dark, and I felt bleak and sad. We don't know exactly when we'll see our children again, and it's hard to live so far from them. Moments with them are so precious now, because they are so rare.
I sat on the stairs outside our apartment with my binoculars, and started a bird checklist. I could hear Great Kiskadees, narcissistically singing out their own names, "Kiskadee! Kiskadee!" I saw a couple of Tropical Kingbirds swooping past, enjoying themselves exuberantly as always. I heard some parrots - probably Turquoise-fronted Parrots. And I was off, checking species on eBird. After a while I went downstairs and walked around on the grass barefoot, looking and listening, just being where I was.
I can't control my children's lives any more than I can control the birds flying over me, but somehow just being where I am saves my life, again and again, taking a few minutes to focus on what I see and hear right here, remembering the way God cares for me and for my children.
3 comments:
"Just being where I am saves my life..." I think so, too.
So glad you were able to just be and feel and walk barefoot and watch the birds.
Thank you for the lovely reminder that 'just being where we are' is often all we need.
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