Over The River and Lakes and Ponds and Wheat fields

I sat at the edge of a dock that I have become familiar with over the last decade. The sun was rising and my feet were hanging in the warm water. The water rippled around with every little movement. And I watched it…. memorizing how beautiful the circles looked, and how good the water felt.  I couldn’t carry my coffee with me as I needed a walking stick and held on to trees making my way to my favorite morning spot. But I was there. Relishing the calm .

I lost my grandparents a while back and my trips North had to change. And thanks to my family, I found a new safe haven. A new place that I can be part of my family in… even if they aren’t really there with me.  And I get to greet the morning on the edge of a lake in the Turtle Mountains.

My baby cousin got married. I took only a few photos. In fact my camera, for personal photos, stayed in its bag. I was too busy just being really happy to be… away. It was my first time since last September.  This past year has of course made it difficult to travel. And this was a big step. Not knowing if our choices were right. But in my heart… I needed it. I needed the few family members that I did see. I needed the stories. Of grandparents planting trees and my dad  riding cows. I needed the company and breakfasts of eggs and ham and dinners of hotdogs and summer salads.  I needed the laughs and the seriousness that comes with what we are living through right now. I needed to walk through the mosquito infested pastures and smell the smells and catch the frogs. I needed to pick the apples off of my grandmother’s apple tree even though they weren’t quite ready. I needed to drive through seas of sunflowers and wheat and barley. And gaze out the window with nothing but a smile. I needed to dip my toes in the lake.

We wandered the country side a lot. I got to stand on the edge of the Turtle Mountains.  I learned that there are 200 named lakes in a 72 square mile radius. If you do the math… that’s 3 lakes for every square mile. (And that’s only the lakes that have names, there are hundreds more ponds and tiny lakes that remain nameless.

This year…

If it teaches you anything. Let it teach you what it means to be near the people you love. The family. The Friends. Even if hugs are not a thing… relish the conversation. It means so much too.

Until next time St. John.