I miss being able to do the little things. I miss creating matchbox car villages on the driveway with chalk. I miss getting face lunches from Mom, and learning how to ride a bike. I miss making towns in the sandbox, only to destroy it and build another one. I miss having Family Nights on Fridays, and doing things like going camping.
I can't remember the last time we've had a family vacation... but I think it might be nice. I think my mom mentioned something about an RV trip somewhere after school this year, and I think it might be just what the doctor ordered. It's been a long long time since we've done something together fully as a family, other than going out to dinner or something like that.
I really would like to do something nature-y like our Canadian Rockies trip -- I don't think I appreciated it as much then, and it seems so long ago... (do I daresay more than 10 years? I can't remember). There was so much beauty and even if we hiked so much every day that my feet killed me at the end, the entire thing was so worth it. There is so much undiscovered beauty out there... just begging to be seen. God does some beautiful work.
This is one of the reasons why I'd like to go to grad school in Vermont or Colorado... I think that there would be a very special connection between the landscape and myself. I'll never forget driving up to Vermont myself a few winters ago and loving every minute of just being alone on the road, with the sun setting behind the mountains, driving on long winding roads through the farms and small towns that permeate huge amounts of green open space, only to find that my pair of headlights was the one and only on the road that night.
I hope that one day I can revel in this glorious nature with an open heart, an open mind, a clear conscience, and a beautiful woman with me and maybe even a family of our own. That would be bliss.
Sounds like you miss the freedom of being a child at times, with no responsibilities and just having fun doing things that interest you. And you see the value of doing simple things together with people who love you. I am heartened that you carry those good memories from your childhood with you.
ReplyDeleteWhen my Dad was losing his memory and fearful of not being able to function, I tried calm him by focusing on doing simple things, like watching a bird in flight. When cancer patients get a new lease on life, they realize that it's the joy they get from simple, basic things, like appreciating nature, having fun with friends, pursuing a hobby, loving and being loved by family, that matter most. It's what God wants for us.
I think God speaks to us through nature; I know I feel him there. The majesty, the strength, the beauty, the permanence, are all reflections of his own character. Reveling in nature is like putting yourself in God's hands, where he can mold you and yet set you free to blaze your own path.
By the way, we took that trip to the Canadian Rockies in 2004, when you were 13...