That Man Sitting With You

Men carry burdens in very private ways.  We ache and grieve and sorrowfully go about our days camouflaged in the stalwart manner of DNA programed over the eons from Eden.  We move for days on instinct allowing those ancient fittest genes to keep our hand on the plow and our shoulder to the task all the while meditating on the best response to the threats to our families.  That man sitting with you is carrying the overwhelming burden of safe and prosperous home and hearth while smiling, talking of your cute dress and eating watermelon.   

Your Perfect Mental Age

I often act in belief that everyone feels as I do, that all people have basically the same experience structure that gives a universality to all life.  One belief I have is that our minds keep us at a certain level of validity, a certain understanding of our personal value, worth and meaning.  This understanding of ourselves is based on our age when we were most effective at life, age 10 or 16-17 or 32-45.  However as we get older, say 59, we no longer have the mental or physical ability to be the self that our minds always create us as.  This creates a certain tension of life that must be accommodated in order for us to fully experience our senior years.  We feel we have potential for significant meaning yet we no longer have the body that can pull it off. 

I have yet to find the answer to this tension.    

A Christmas Tree Lesson

A Christmas tree floated down the river this morning.  It was perfectly formed but had no needles, no ornaments, no star or angel, just a shape floating the course of the river.  Its usefulness had passed, its heyday over.  Its fate was sealed the moment it was severed from its Roots.

Putting On The Bright Side

Two crows just flew across our yard hot on the red tail of a hawk.  The Silver Maid of Tennessee is pregnant with rain. The hills are swollen with green trees made abundant by steady showers.  It strengthens a man when the earth is ripe, makes him feel hopeful about the future and secure in the fact that Someone is taking care of the essentials.  All politicians, media, protesters and malcontents should be forced to live in the mountains.  Their demeanor and outlook on life would be improved and they might actually find reason to look on the bright side… and this spring the earth is certainly putting on the bright side. 

Bird and People Report

At home in West Tennessee I have Robins, Blue Jays, Mocking Birds, Purple Finches and Wood Peckers.  At Fair Haven in East Tennessee on The Tennessee River I have Ducks of all kinds, Geese, Blue Herons, Cormorants, Sea Gulls, Ospreys, and Blue Birds.  Completely different set of characters but I sure do like them.  Birds are like people. 

Upon The Rock

A certain peace is a father’s when his loved ones lay safe in his kingdom.  A physical, fearful, watchful peace of earthly power, part determination, part brute force and part 9mm.  But the peace that settles him in the deep night, when no one knows, is that the LORD God is really all he has. 

P.S. I awoke this morning with serene, a lover I haven’t held for many mornings.  Another articulated angel from God.  I  live a blessed life. 

A chest of drawer cradle and fold out couch in the
guest suite at Fair Haven kingdom.