Just when you thought you'd seen and heard it all, Mother Nature sings you a lullaby.

Imagine this. Just when you thought you'd seen and heard it all, Mother Nature sings you a lullaby, whispers a "Once Upon a Time a long while ago" directly into your ear.

That's what happened one evening. I was thinking as I shut the door and walked outside after an argument: "It's one of those, 'Been there, done that, I'm ripping up the t-shirts and I'm not coming back' kind of days." It had been a long day, not only for me. Funny how pride works so well with stupidity.

I had walked past doorways and barking dogs just to sit on the curb, though I would have preferred a stoop. I'll never forget how the stars were there in the background, ready to put on a show, but on this particular evening, they would have been outdone. I stood, mesmerized, listening without hearing, just watching the sunset. Without words to be heard, I understood. Watching until the moon rose high and stars sparkled, I could almost hear the sound of praises being sung, celebrating the beauty of Nature, reminding me that life is precious and fleeting, like this sunset, like a lullaby.

 

Watching the sky, listening to the sounds of night creatures I realized, tomorrow is not promised, and I needed to just let it go, dismiss whatever pettiness was consuming me, and go with the universal ebb and flow that began once upon a time and has always been there. But I won't always be.

 

 

Copyright Emme H. Johnson 2013

To make a plant beautiful, it must be pruned and reshaped but to make a child beautiful, does it require the same?

This photo represents the beauty of crepe myrtle and all living things, but it does not reveal the hard work that went into making it so--the cutting back, pruning, shaping, and directing its designated path. Some plants, if pruned too severely, don't live through the process, but when they do, the flowers are phenomenal. It reminds me of parenting, what it takes to make a beautiful, strong child, but if the parenting is biased, frightening, unpredictable, too severe, neglectful, or filled with envy, violence or shame, it is called child abuse. The problem with child abuse is its secrecy regarding what happens behind closed doors. Friends and family might suspect it, but they usually choose to turn a blind eye, opting for the beautiful picture presented by a predator, perpetrator, or well-meaning abusive parent. It's time we all accepted the fact that outward appearances are often unreliable. So if something seems contradictory or strange in your experience, don't be so quick to persecute or pass judgment, especially if you don't know the facts. Just remember, there are two sides to every beautiful or horrid story--external appearances and the truth.

I learned something new about myself: I can be stubborn, stupidly so.

I learned something new about myself.  I can be stubborn, stupidly so.

Today is  July 2nd, and I don't want to travel on July 4th because I traveled two days ago, and I'm still exhausted. It was a strange one-day getaway that should have included at least an overnight stay. At about 2am after a discussion that required a lot of politically correct commentary, I decided to head back home since I was wide awake and couldn't sleep.  

Contemplating the four-hour drive, I had felt assured I could complete the return trip home although earlier that day I had driven four hours, conducted business for four hours, visited family for four hours, had dinner, and helped someone on a project for another three hours. Once I realized I couldn't sleep, I didn't want to waste precious driving time tossing and turning only to face a full-blown sunrise the next day. I had only four hours to get the rental car back before 10 am. At the time, driving in misty moonlight seemed a good idea because starting at sunrise and continuing the drive east for four hours after minimal sleep sounded dangerous. 

With my final decision to leave in the middle of night, I felt like a wise, experienced driver. But despite my experience as a driver and despite the fact I was driving a brand new Volkswagen Golf, it wasn't a smart move, not because of the problems I might have encountered, but also because I failed to listen to myself. Anyone in her right mind would have found a way to fall asleep and leave more energized in the morning. 

Driving at night was peaceful and beautiful, but I missed a turn because of the foggy haze. I had to pull into the parking lot of a well-lighted Kangaroo gas station and take a little nap, not so much because I was tired but because I was lost. After much tossing and turning, I still had to force myself to sleep. I awoke at sunrise and continued the drive home, suddenly realizing I had put myself at risk.

Because of poor problem-solving, I had put myself in danger, but I learned something new about myself. I can be stubborn, stupidly so. I had ignored my better judgment because I had wanted to avoid driving east in the morning hours with the sunrise blazing in my face. I never considered what happens during the night after a hot summer day: misty, foggy mornings and zero visibility. 

At sunrise, I had only an hour or so to drive, but things might have turned out differently. I'm sure this is how so many fatalities take shape. I was lucky this time, and I am thankful and wiser. Being tired is a small price to pay for just getting home safe.
(c) M.D. Johnson (2014)