Tag: travel

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl6 Comments

A Favor

Short drives
Long drives
Dropping off
Picking up
To the airport and back
Or a two-hour road trip
To a chosen halfway
Meeting spot-
Each path is an opportunity
Not simply a destination-
A choice to spend
A little extra time
Together-
Have a great trip!
We will miss you!
Welcome home!
Until next time!
A simple favor?
Perhaps
But sometimes
The simplest of gestures
Connect our hearts with
The strongest of ties

One week ago, we celebrated our daughter’s wedding. Yesterday, we picked up the newlyweds from the airport. Friday, we drove my mom halfway home after a sweet visit. Her sister met us and drove Mom the rest of the way home. Today, I will pick up my friend from the airport.

Each instance subtly reminds me of the importance and the passing of time. It is a sacred space not to be taken for granted.

Simply Sunday

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Rocks and Trees

A highway lined
With Aspen groves
Their golden leaves
Smiling golden smiles
Covering me with affection
A winding road lined
With massive boulders
In their current state
Of stacked strength
Covering me with shade-
Different, yet each
Conveys the feeling
Of being snuggly wrapped
In my favorite blanket-
Warmth and security
Sometimes come from
The most surprising places

Yellow Ribbon

On By Piano girl5 Comments

Perfectly content
Exploring the peaceful valley
From my seat on the rock
I glanced up, noticing
Bright yellow ribbons
Winding their way
Through the mountains
As if a painter had chosen
Just the right brush
And gently dabbed
Contrasting colors
Behind the evergreens
Creating a trail that
Graciously called out –
Don’t stay in the valley
Come to the mountaintop
Follow the yellow ribbon
Until the trees disappear
Then look back
To see how far you’ve traveled

Yesterday, Gart and I traveled the beautiful roads of Rocky Mountain National Park to the Alpine Visitor Center, elevation 11,796 feet. The views were stunning. And seeing the valley we had explored the day before from above was humbling.

Traveling on high, curvy mountain roads is a challenge for me. Just the thought of it puts a knot in my stomach. In recent years, I’ve come to understand the roots of this anxiety. And I’m grateful to have someone beside me who understands, challenges, and encourages me. Oh, and also takes some amazing photos! ❤️

Photo credit Gart Morris 3 & 4

Seeking

On By Piano girl9 Comments

There is no denying
It exists in every
Corner of our world
Brokenness–
Most days, it lives
In my periphery
On the news
Down the street
Other days
It parks itself right
In the center of my heart-
The same is true of love
Whether noticed
Around the edges
Or in the center
Love holds the ability to grow
From the tiniest bits of joy-
The first chirp of the
Robin’s morning Hello!
The yellow-gold leaves
Of mountain Aspens in the Fall
The evening whisper of the wind
As it says Goodnight! to the pines –
Listening causes me to look
Seeing causes me to smile
Feeling causes me to
Open my window just a crack
So joy can find her way inside-
Do you hear the birds?
Do you see those trees?
Did you feel that breeze?
They may sound like
Unimportant things to ask
But what if those questions
Are the first notes in a
Song of hope for the one
Seeking a hand to hold

A few images from Rocky Mountain National Park today. 💛 Soaking in each little bit.

Simply Sunday

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Reasons to Smile

The dense morning haze
Weighed heavy on my
Foggy morning brain
Forcing sad thoughts
To the surface-
No way around
Muddling through
The middle would
Have to do
The haze gave way
To mid-morning layers
Of grays and whites
Overlapping, continually
Trading places until
Swaths of baby blue
Smiled through the gaps–
And with no hesitation
I smiled back

Sometimes we all need a reminder of our many reasons for smiling. Time with family is one of my favorite reasons. 💗

Lessons in Unity

On By Piano girl2 Comments 
Colors fly past
My periphery
Golden browns
And burnt oranges
Sewn together 
With threads of
Yellow and green
A heavy quilt 
Covering the cold
Winter ground-
Tiny feathered creatures 
Rest within the soft
Patchwork 
Until ready
To announce 
Their presence 
Rising and falling 
A mesmerizing 
Magic carpet
Murmuration
All moving 
Together as one

Simply Sunday

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Term of endearment
With many versions
Each one chosen
For any variety
Of reasons
Each one spoken
For any variety
Of emotions
No matter the age
Sometimes
A girl needs
To see her Mom

Enjoyed an overnight trip to Little Rock and a nice dinner out with Mom. ❤️ Thankful for a husband who says, Let’s go!

Miles Away

On By Piano girl12 Comments

It could be the one-hundred-plus-excessive-heat-warning temperatures.

It could be because I’m missing Dad.

It’s most likely an all-of-the-above answer to any multiple-choice question you might ask.

Whatever the question or the answer, my thoughts keep drifting.

What would I give?
To rest in
The Wisdom
Of your shade
To sit beneath 
Limbs-curved
And crooked from
Over a century 
Of growing
Reaching 
Learning to be-
Witness to 
Stories unseen
Standing vigil
Thru seasons of
Darkness 
And light
Firmly holding
In your arms
All those seeking rest-
What would I give?
To rest in
The Wisdom
Of your shade-
Listening 
As the tide rolls in
Wondering 
If you can hear it, too
Lahaina Banyan Court Park-Maui, HI photo credit Gart Morris ❤️

View From Here

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Feet firmly planted
I look up
You seem
So far away
Your curious smile
Offering shelter
As well as fuel
For my imagination
Yesterday
Your appearance
Was somber
Unable to hold
The weight
Of your tears
Tossed around
By life’s storms

Cautiously standing
On the edge of
The highest height
You are closer
But different
A fluffy blanket
Calling to me
Stretch out your arms
Trust me, as you
Freefall into
This softness-
An illusion
To be sure
But, oh,
What a sweet
Consideration

Simply Sunday

On By Piano girl10 Comments

Day before vacation
Awakened from a
No-sense-dream
A phone ringing
Several missed calls
And text messages

Confused does
Not justly
Describe my mood
I was frantic
A panicked spiral
Attempting to take hold-

Not just a mess
But a hot mess
According to
My husband
Shhh…
He was right

I need you
To stand still
And take a
Deep breath

Breathing out
I felt the tears
Beginning to form
This is me
But only
A part of me

Today, I sit
In the airport
Traveling within this
Thirty-year love
And we are ok
Better than ok

Maui, here we come! ❤️