The Earth Renews

As I enjoyed my daily stroll across campus, today, I considered that our Earth is engaged in it’s annual spring renewal, irrespective of our pandemic.  The trees are resplendent with their blossoms.  Squirrels are playing and frisky in their antics.  They have always been comfortable on the campus of Southern Illinois University @ Carbondale…but they are additionally so..due to the lack of humans in the way of their happy antics.  Today was cool and pleasant…and it had that, certain feeling, of promise and hope and renewal of life!

I enjoyed a few puffs of my wonderful Christmas gift from Aaron, my Christmas pipe, in my automobile.  Remember, we are on a stay at home order due to the coronavirus, and I was on my way to Walmart for needed groceries…which is permissible…from necessity.  I thought of friends and family and suffering and joy.  MJ and I have a dear friend who is receiving chemo therapy for cancer.  Another of our friends was in the hospital for a recent stroke.  An old friend of mine is a new grandmother…with a beautiful new grandchild.  The sky, above me, was a brilliant blue.  The new grass was forest green…with the pleasant odor of wild green onions.  Everything is a gift.  Every moment is a photograph…in time…of our precious lives.

Jonathon arises at 5:00 A.M. and prepares for work, in the event that he is called in to his job at Key Control.

Aaron is working so hard to ensure that his warehouse and drivers are able to deliver the vital cleaning products and PPE that is so essential to the health and safety of hospitals.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

Photo by Jonathan Borba on Pexels.com

I parked at our local Walmart this afternoon, at the end of the store that I customarily enter.  The doors were locked and a gate had been hastily constructed to block, even, going up to attempt entry.  Thus, I walked the length of the mega-store, and found more gates to facilitate the entrance and exit from the store.  There was a nice young woman who greeted me and asked me how I was doing and cautioned me that Walmart was practicing social distancing and that I should stay 6 feet apart from other patrons.  I am noticing more people who are wearing face masks or bandanas or scarfs…and people nod and, perhaps,  smile when you make eye contact with them.

I ordered a Swiss Arm Knife, as a true Southern Illinoisan can never have to many pocket knifes.  It is sky blue in color and made of aluminum.  It has 2020 embossed on it’s back.  Sky blue is a happy and hopeful color…2020 is the year of our pandemic.

The natural wonder of our Earth is progressing forward on it’s perfect clock.  It is wondering where the humans have gone.  It is up to us…how we return….