Time feels like it’s moving faster than it used to around
here. Overnight, sweaters and cozy
blankets became mandatory, my cravings for all things pumpkin resurfaced, and
my daughter turned 18. We just returned
from a whirlwind tour of colleges in Philadelphia and Washington DC, and my husband and I are preparing ourselves
for next autumn when our nest will empty. I am fortunate to have found two
really great women who are very capable at taking care of and loving my dog,
cat and horses while we are away from home.
Siete developed an abscess in her front right hoof just as I
was about to leave. Luckily, the farrier was able to swing by in the morning
and drain it before I had to go, and our horse-sitter was a champion at
cleaning and putting on the Animalintex, vet-wrap and boot. Both horses were
angels, she said, which made me very proud.
As I mucked the barn on the first morning that I was back, I took a
moment to notice the crisp clean air and the yellow and orange already sprinkling
the trees in the woods behind me. The
horses were happily grazing, walking normally, thank God. While I enjoyed the urban energy of DC, it
sure felt wonderful to be here tucked away in our quiet little world.
I had a fun re-union in DC with two friends whom I met many
decades ago, when I was my daughter’s age while in a summer journalism program
at Northwestern University. The three of us have had completely different but
very exciting career paths, and it was really interesting to catch up. My daughter and my husband were sitting with
us as we talked and laughed non-stop for over two hours. Later, one of these
remarkable women commented, “We are all here because someone had dreams for
us.” I’m so glad that my daughter is able to have so many strong “aunties” to
inspire her.
Looking at my vibrant child who is ready to go out and
change the world, I feel determined to offer her all the possibilities that my
parents gave me to explore and create my own path. I think back and see a swirling pattern that
took me all over the globe and settled me here in this secluded corner where
the trees and the hill wrap around our home like Mother Nature draping her
protective arm over our shoulders. It’s
a good place to come from and a good place to come home to.
