Due Date

The pacing continued.  Around and around through the kitchen into the dinning room, a right turn into the entryway, through the great room and back around to the kitchen, a pause to wait for a random contraction to build and fade away then back to placing one foot in front of the other in the hope of speeding things along.

The morning passed.  The afternoon slipped by.  Night crept over the land as the sun dipped to the horizon.

The couple settled in for the evening.

“Oh! I think we should go.”  She said, a surprised look on her face.

A New Beginning

Once there was a pristine highway running across the prairie.  Vacationing families, semi-trucks, motorcycle enthusiasts and businesspeople traveled it, streaming by in one direction or the other.

The day came when everyone left, fleeing the dying planet choking on industrial waste.  In ships destined for the stars they soared away seeking a new beginning.

Over time the highway cracked and buckled.  Plants encroached finding footholds in the untraveled ribbon.  Animals flourished.

One day they returned, exhausted from their quest.  A vista of healthy land teeming with life greeted them and they settled in, determined to care for their ancestral home. 

Young Lovers

The night was dark.  Two young lovers ventured into the orchard slipping through the densest shadows to avoid being seen.  They greeted with quiet embrace, sharing their warmth in the cool air.

An owl hooted.

They looked around searching for any sign of prying eyes from nervous parents.  Nothing was to be seen and they turned back to each other.  They sank to the ground oblivious to the stirring in the dark.

Without a sound it approached the young lovers until a light was switched on and a voice called out.

“What are you kids doing trespassing in my orchard?”

Newborn

The tiny being nestled snug in his mother’s arms, warm and content with a full stomach.  She gazed down at his soft, round face with a look of tenderness.  Her eyes radiant with love.

“Such a handsome boy.”  She said stroking his hair.

The small bow of lips twitched with the beginnings of a smile and she grinned at the wonder of the life she had brought into the world.  A bundle of milk scented, gurgling, wiggling warmth.

Through her mind ran the thought of future play with cars and blocks.  To be dismissed in this quiet moment of closeness.

Life Event

It has been awhile since I last posted anything.  A lot has happened in the last ten days.  The most important event was the birth of my newest grandchild, a beautiful, healthy baby boy.  He and his mom and dad are doing great and I have been spending half of my time over at their house helping out.

One of the greatest miracles of life is the birth of a baby.  From the quiet, serene interludes to the inner focused effort of each contraction to the jubilant greeting of mother to child as he is laid in her arms moments after his entrance into the world to the soft, tender look of a new father as he holds both wife and son creating a circle of warmth and love more powerful than anything on earth.

I was privileged and honored to be a part of this joyous event in my daughter’s life and relish each moment I get to spend hanging out with them watching my favorite show, baby TV. 

Stay tuned for more stories as I find time to pen them and post them.  :)

Struggle

Above towers the might of the mountain, rising ever upwards.  Its peak is hidden from view by clouds blanketing the sky in a uniform greyness.

Below, visible through the trees clinging to the slope is a valley of lush grass and a sparkling stream of water.

For what reason does the climber seek the unknown, struggling against the strenuous rocky rise?

Is it Glory and the adulation of others?  Or some inner fire that drives them?

What disgrace is there in saying enough and seeking a serene life beside a babbling brook with no conflict, no strife, and no accomplishment?