One Friday, early this spring, Heidi and I spent the day driving, shopping, and running errands. The radio playing, windows cracked and our eyes squinting in the morning sun. John Denver’s song “Poems, Prayers and Promises” came on the radio.
“And talk of poems and prayers and promises And things that we believe in How sweet it is to love someone How right it is to care How long it's been since yesterday And what about tomorrow And what about our dreams And all the memories we share”
“It about makes you want to cry don’t it?” said Heidi
“What does?”
“This song, these lyrics, the morning sun, Mamaw and Papaw gone.”
“Yeah, it does. Wait! Are you crying? Why, you are crying Heidi. Mamaw and Papaw are just gone for the weekend. They’ll be back Monday.”
“But that’s what I mean. They are not home. Their home is empty. I miss the comfort of being able to see them when I want to, knowing that they are always there, anytime, any day. I miss them. I miss knowing they’re home, even if it is just for a weekend.”
I put the car in park, and we headed into the local general store.
We were a little sad.
We made our stops and we ran our errands.
In few hours and without knowing what led us there, we ended up on a mountain off of the Blue Ridge Parkway, overlooking miles and miles of blue mountain ranges. We snapped photos. We laughed. We admired the view. We enjoyed each other.
Looking over the range of mountains, Heidi’s words from earlier that day came to mind and suddenly, I began to miss something I had not yet lost.
That simple day, those simple moments produced a simple realization for me. Make home so welcoming that others crave to be there, enjoy that sibling who makes life grand, and find comfort in the beauty of mountains.
Listen to "Poems,Prayers and Promises" here.
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