Dear Reader:
Don’t we all have a window that is our favorite to look out on to see our small piece of the world.
One of my favorite Nerburn stories is one he shared from a nursing home many years ago. He was visiting a friend at a nursing home who was no longer aware of his existence , much less visitation, and was deeply depressed and disturbed by the sadness of the patients all around him.
One nurse picked up on this and told him he must meet ” Alice” before he left… he was so glad he did….
He was writing about life in nursing homes also and felt he needed a bright spot-he found it in Alice.
When he introduced himself and asked if he could ask her a few questions about life in this place …she quietly nodded.
Her eyes never left one window. ” Look,” she said finally, pointing out the window. Far in the distance was the cupola of a cathedral.
” Isn’t it beautiful”? ” I come here every day to watch the sun rise. I have been all over Europe-seen Notre Dame, St Peter’s and the Duomo in Florence. But none was more beautiful than this and I get to see it every day for free!”
As we shared the cathedral, the dawn, and the radiant morning light… she reached over and grabbed my hand.
” Isn’t this a gift?”
Nerburn concludes…” I had approached Alice with sadness…on the shrinking horizons of her life that framed the boundaries of her day… but those were my tears, not hers. Her tears were for the beauty. From her window she received the spirit of dawn.”
So until tomorrow… Where some see limitations … we should all see possibilities.
Staying here with the grandchildren… my possibilities are endlessly delicious!
We all met up for pizza outside for supper last night…fun for the kids running around outside-freezing for the adults as the temps dropped quickly! Burr!!!!
… and my cow dogs / grand dogs for a going away party Tommy and Kaitlyn threw for friends moving to Texas!
Today is has favorite day-Winnie the Pooh
So very true….life is what you make it…saw that with my own Mother…she got all of the people who played bingo to give their winnings to the activity director who was going on a mission trip…it wasn’t much but it gave them a purpose and touched her heart….
Love the cowdogs!
This is a great story to remind us to see the beauty around us. I wonder how many people had ever seen the beauty Alice saw every day? That picture of the cowdogs could win a prize. So glad your grands are having this week to make memories with Boo. Glad you’ll have some good memories to think about too in the weeks to come.
I sent this message onto Kaitlyn and Tommy – they loved your comments on the ” cow dogs!” I loved your finding beauty in the ordinary- so like you!!!