Bench of Memories

All is quiet with the exception of the rhythmic ceiling fan stirring the cooled conditioned air in the early hours of the morning. In this pre-dawn time my thoughts surround the notion that assuming a different position will render a more relaxed portal through which sleep will descend. Relaxation fails to arrive and thoughts of the day ahead begin swirling almost with the rhythm of the fan. A conscious leap to thoughts of gratitude for another evening of renewal and a current day offering up the presence of possibilities to discover what opportunities lie yet to be discovered brings the assurance of hope for another day. As I peer through the glass door to the well illuminated white bench in the yard I recall the many years that bench has occupied that space. My father placed it there when I was in college and except for the replacement of the wooden back rails and the occasional paint job it has remained the same for all those years. It has seen the pecan tree erupt into a giant green monster over it and has witnessed my son’s first lesson in “stick carving” and his wife’s seating in her wedding dress (for pictures) on the day of their marriage. It has held my daughter and I as we talked, my granddaughter and I as we cracked some pecans and it stands today as a wonderful reminder of the blessings for which this old PD possessor has to be thankful. The journey from the restless dawn to the bench of memories was only a few thankful moments that reminded me of grateful gifts of the past and anticipation of those yet to come!