Life bothering you lately? Take time to take a walk and enjoy the surroundings about you! (I did this very thing myself; and I had a very nice walk! I walked from the library to the Corner Bookstore, which is a good distance away, and I then walked back. I was gone for over an hour.)
We just got back from taking a stroll down the street, Jodie and myself, and we are now resting and enjoying ourselves.
It's quiet. Bill is at work, and the kids are at school. The reason Jodie didn't go to school was because she had a dental appointment this morning, and when we got back, I decided that she and I needed to get outside and take a walk. Now, Jodie is in a wheelchair, but I still pushed her wheelchair, and I walked behind her, enjoying the sound of her laughter and the singing of the birds in the trees and the feel of the warm spring breeze caressing our faces. I also enjoyed the smell of the flowers and the smells of barbeque wafting through the air. I also heard the sounds of dogs barking as we went by, but I needn't have worried: I knew most of the dogs in the neigborhood, and I also knew most of the people in the neighborhood, and they knew me. They knew me as "that crazy woman with all those kids", which is probably a great description of me. Some of the neighbors were outside, working in the yard, getting their mail or papers, or picking up the trash or weeds in their yard; and when they saw me stroll by, they called out in greeting, and I answered back. Jodie waved too, and she squealed out in joy; she was probably trying to imitate me saying hello to the neighbors. She then looked back at me and grinned her huge toothy smile, and I couldn't help but to smile back at her.
The weather was delightful: partly cloudy, with just a touch of humidity to the air (but not too bad, to where it was uncomfortable), and a nice, gentle breeze rustling the leaves on the trees; and not too much in the way of pollen or other irritants in the air to get my allergies started. I wasn't having too much trouble with my allergies today; and for that I was glad.
I usually work on Mondays, but I took a day off work, and I was enjoying the peace and tranquility of a lovely spring day, and the peace and quiet of having no kids but one at home, and just thanking God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon me and my family. I also was marveling at His Handiwork in the trees, the grass, the animals, the sky, and was thanking Him that I was alive and was able to enjoy His Handiwork. I also thanked Him for my family, my husband, my children, and my friends; and I was thanking Him for a job I enjoyed and my ability to help people who were in need and to help them feel just a bit better, even if it only meant my standing there by their bed, holding their hand, and not saying a word as I tried in my silent way to comfort them or to make them forget of their pain or sufferings. I also thanked God for saving me and my family, and I thanked Him for a loving church family and a church where we all felt accepted and loved. I may have had problems with my health (my back pain, my sciatic pain, my arthritis and walking on a cane, also my epilepsy, which was controlled by medication), but I was still able to live a full, happy, and productive life, and I was so much better off than a lot of people; and for that, I was truly grateful.
I don't know what I have done to deserve all the blessings God has granted me and my family; but I am glad of them, and I thank Him every day for all that He has done for me. Our God is an awesome God, and there is not a day that goes by where I don't stop to take time to thank Him for His Mercy or Goodness, and I also take time to do devotions or study the Word and spend time reading the Word and reflecting on what I have read. I also spend time in prayer; I pray for my family and friends first, and then I pray for people I may have heard about or met while working at the hospital, and I also pray for our President and our Nation; and I lastly pray for the world and pray for peace and an end to all the evil that is now so prevelent in this world today. I also pray for myself, but I feel that my husband, kids, and friends, and even people I have met briefly while working need prayer more than I do; and so they come before me.
Taking walks is a good way to think of the events going on in your life, and it is also a good way to think of God and reflect on what He has done; and it is also a good way to forget of problems you may be having, even if it is only for a brief time; and it is also a super way to get exercise. This is why I try to take a walk every day, if not in the morning (like today or on my usual days off), but in the evenings, after supper; or during the weekends if I am not too busy chasing kids. I get such enjoyment out of doing this, and I always look forwards to my time outside. I love the out of doors, and I always have, ever since I was a little girl growing up in Cajun Louisiana. I love it even now, as I grow older, and I can't wait until my grandchildren get bigger so when they come to Tennessee to see grandma (me) and grandpa (Bill), I can then start taking them outside for walks and show them the world about them, and soon, they should develop an affinity for the out of doors, just as I have done when I was small.
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Reviewed by Simon Thurlow
5/15/2004
Beautiful piece of writing Karen. It's nice to be back to be able to escape from the world and immerse mysel;f in your words
