It was a good Christmas.
Wife and kids drove to Tennessee on the 22nd to spend the holiday with parents/grandparents. I stayed home until Christmas Eve, then drove eight hours from Pennslvania to Tennessee. The weather was dry, roads were clear, traffic was light; a delightful drive.
Wife drove my Jeep (her old Suburban began protesting just before the trip.) I drove a rental (Hertz, full-size Buick, $20/day, unlimited miles, sweet deal.) I returned today, they will return after the New Year.
The visit was nice. I behaved myself; easier now that I have made significant changes in my life (spiritually speaking.) All are well.
On the way back I detoured into the southern Virginia mountains and visited Aunt Betty. It was the highlight of the holiday. Aunt Betty lives alone in a rustic cabin that some might call primitive. I call it wonderful. Few other cabins boast a gazebo elevated above the roof by a central supporting pole, or a private pond filed with fish. Her outhouse was replaced this year by an indoor composting toilet, much more convenient in winter. Running water is gravity-fed from a spring, The inside walls are planked in lumber salvaged from old barns. Her bookcase is filled with titles spanning a spectrum from novels to quantum mechanics.
Aunt Betty came to the mountains years ago, in a converted school bus with her children. The chidren grew and scattered. Aunt Betty stayed in this place that has become a comfortable refuge. She reads, visits, corresponds with friends and family, lives in the company of dogs and makes a life that suits her.
She is my connection to family; my father's sister, my baby-sitter from years ago when I was too small to remember. She tells me stories about my father as a boy, my mother as a young bride, my grandparents as real people rather than the icons they became in my memory.
We visit like people did a century ago. We share coffee and conversation, watch sunsets and moon risings, enjoy each other's company and silence.
I love my Aunt Betty. I would love to tell you more about her, and I will.
I hope that you all had a Merry Chrstmas and will enjoy a happy and healthy New Year.
1 comment:
How wonderful you had a peaceful Christmas! There are no words to express the miracles a peaceful heart (and soul) can bring. Sometimes in spite of ourselves, we see the open doors and go through them. Sometimes we have to work at forging doors in the cold/hard walls which we built around ourselves so none could enter. The problem with these walls is that we can't escape them either! My heart is happy your Christmas was where it was! Namaste, LRHG
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