Today I am Thankful for...My childhood home
Yesterday my family went for a little day trip to visit my mom. The drive down was beautiful. The fall leaves are in their peak here and I enjoyed taking it all in. As we drew closer to my mom's home, and we turned onto the road where I was raised, I quickly remembered why fall used to be my favorite season. I have a beautiful home where I live now, but living in a neighborhood is totally different from living on a street where most of the homes are surrounded by acres of unspoiled woodlands. As we pulled up the drive to my moms house, we were encapsulated by trees of all different shades. These woods, MY woods, were calling my name.
Growing up, the woods were my solitude. I could go there when I had a bad day or a good day and just have my thoughts to myself. I often took my bible and would spend hours praying and thinking and sometimes just taking in my surroundings. It had been years since I had taken the time to do that and it was a crisp, clear, temperate fall day. After we visited for a while and ate lunch, I got the girls settled in. Though I was exhausted from another sleepless night with the baby, the woods were calling to me. I took my camera to my favorite spot. I always expect it to change, and somehow it never does. No matter how old I get, the splendor of these woods never seem to diminish.
As I started the short trek down the tangled bank, I could see the drop from the first rock terrace ahead of me. There are a series of about 6-7 rock terraces built hundreds of years before, all grown over with different types of moss and lichens. I soon came to the clearing that was my favorite spot growing up. At one point, about 80-90 years ago, it was a camping spot to fox hunters and the fire ring and a solitary rock "seat" remain in the center of the small clearing. I couldn't help but shed a quick tear of thanks for the memories and the immediate renewal I felt by being there. I can't remember the last time I had time for myself and it was an answer to prayer. I sat for a long time on my favorite rock just trying to take everything in and breathing a prayer of thanks before I started trying to capture some of the beauty that surrounded me with my camera. When I finally left about an hour later, I was refreshed and renewed. Thank you, Lord for giving me that time, then and now!
What are YOU thankful for today? Check out the "25 Days of Thanks" tab at the top and link up below!
What a lovely post... my parents still live in the same house to which they brought me home from the hospital... it is still "home". I may "steal" this at a later date... not the content, but the topic, because I, too, am thankful for my childhood home!
ReplyDeleteThis also makes me miss the fall leaves... they do change down here, but not like they do up north!
Your childhood home sounds like mine and Aaron's dream! I would love for my boys to grow up like that...One day...One day. :)
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