Sometimes you’re just pickin’ tired, and the days are wearing you down, not because there’s a thing wrong with them but because sometimes that’s what days do.
You want to want to, but right now you don’t.
You just want to sit a while.
Your eyes slow, and you think about the elderly lady you wish lived down the block in the little cottage on the double lot. Her hair looks like bird fluff, and she always takes time to wave down the street to you and the kids, and she invites you over to the fence for blooms.
She’s never too busy to talk with you about her garden, overgrown with hollyhocks and lilacs. Never too busy to listen to stories of your days.
This day, before you know it you’re telling about the kids and how proud you are of the young people they’re becoming, and all their activities and the spilt tea and the part-time work and all the forms, and then you’re crying and apologizing because there’s nothing wrong. You love this life, you’re just tired.
Her eyes warm tenderly — she knows — and she opens the gate and invites you in.
She motions with her speckled hand, “Sweetie, pull up a chair.”
So you do.
And soon your shoulders drop and the tears slow, and you are sitting under your favorite weeping cherry, drinking a cool glass of water with lemon while she cuts blooms for you to arrange in vases on the front porch.
Nothing’s changed. You just pulled up a chair.
And sat with grace a while.
Connecting through the power of stories written, spoken and lived
Ashley, each one of you blogs touch my heart. I love you and thank you for giving me such heart warming thoughts.
Oh Ash! This was So lovely, the lady of lilacs, hollyhocks and bird fluff hair! The lady who has all the time in the world, even though her days be growing fewer. Just lovely. I want to be her. And I want to be her, for You.
xoxo!
You always make me feel special — like you have nothing but time and energy to hear from my heart. I don’t know that you’ll ever have her hair, but you have her heart! xoxo
To be part way there makes me smile! We’ll have to see how birdy this hair will become! :) xoxo
So inviting! Love the last line. Can I sit with grace a while too?
Yes! Please do!
Love it! Reminds me of my grandmother and watching her visit with anyone that walked by giving them afew minutes of her time.Mom
I would have loved to have known your grandma!
so sweet. and i LOVE what your mama said to you.
Thanks, my friend. :)
some of us need to think of God a little bit more like that. thanks!
Tenderly and beautifully described. Why not allow musings to bring serenity and tranquility into our lives? Perhaps another realm allows us to be kind to ourselves…
Hi Ashley…Its me Kelly your Mama’s age ole friend and I just read this and thank you for the thoughtful sweetness. Lucky me, my mom was just pure grace in the end and now I have 2 neighbors who are just like Grace! May we all embrace a moment here and a moment there to contemplate the stories of each day that create the journey of life….no matter how weary we may become….Blessings to you dear girl….Kelly
Kelly, so great to “see” you here. Thank you for your comment. How great to read of your grace-filled mama and these dear neighbors who surround you. These literal and imagined pictures who help us slow to embrace, contemplate, give thanks…what gift.
You are definitely in your lane, at full stride with this…(wink.)
Thank you so much for your comment, Kim. This was a good one for my heart to write. Don’t we all need a little more Grace in our lives?