Dear Maria,
Greetings! A seasonally appropriate 28 degrees this morning,
and so I must concede, fall has arrived. Despite some mornings in the lower to
mid-30s, because the highs, like several of the past few days, have managed to
climb into the 70s, I ignored the calendar. Not today.
Today is resignation
day. Winter is going to come.
You know I have only half-jokingly referred to this place as
Camp Reflection—the pun, obvious—but the character of the place lends itself to
frequent pauses to, well, reflect. Were it a summer camp, the kids would be
long gone, the last few senior counselors would have turned the bunks, locked
the windows, and stored the canoes and kayaks in the shed. The pantry would be
nearly empty, just enough for the senior director to see the place through the
winter.
Yep, that would be me. Yep, feeling a little swelling of
melancholy in the chest. So now I write, you are thinking. Lucky you.
No geese this late afternoon as I walked Max. In fact, very
few birds today. Yesterday could have passed for Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson
out here. Did see what I am pretty certain is a tree swallow, but it is most
likely merely pausing during its migration. Beautiful bird.
Oh, by the way, speaking of writing—and I sort of was—thank you
for telling me the other day that one of my posts didn’t resonate with you. I
could hardly take anyone seriously who said they liked—liked, which now is even
a more vapid word thanks to social media—every post, every story, every poem.
However, to chew on if not eat my words, thanks for liking the
little haiku that tallied around 1/15th the views my open letter to
Trump received. That minor foray into the current situation resulted in a 600%
jump in readership and more likes and more shares than anything I have ever
posted. Go figure.
Regardless, most likely, it’s back to the landscape for me.
Minus the melancholy. Besides the seasonal shift brings the
holiday sprint. Thanksgiving was 34 of us—final accounting in the hands of
tabulators—and was good-spirited as always. I might even throw up some lights
in the crape myrtles out back, which would give my neighbors across the way
something to look at and would most likely amuse my neighbors on either side.
I am sure your family’s gathering was warm and fun—and the
temperature as well. Enjoy the pleasures of the season. Perhaps we will put a
little extra emphasis on the word peace
when we ask for Peace on Earth this go-round.
My best to the family and friends and colleagues.
As always, yours,
srk
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