Daydreams of the Soul

Yesterday was a day of simple pleasures.  Drinking a cup of coffee on the deck in the morning, watching the lake ripple with the slight breeze.  Sun dappled leaves rustling.  Sitting with Dad, he on the swing, me at the picnic table.  Not talking, just sitting and enjoying the view.  Watching for any activity on the lake.  Oatmeal with fresh raspberries for breakfast.

Walking the dogs down the trail to the back lake with my sister and nephew.  Boy running ahead with the small white Westie, joy radiating off both of them.  My sister and I are on alert, watching the woods, checking the ground for signs of unfriendly animals.  We’d found new tracks of a big cat the day before.  Picking berries as we go, popping the sun warmed morsels in our mouths, no pretense of gathering them for later.  Raspberries are almost done, eaten by greedy bears.  Blackberries are just ripening.  We can see where the bears were laying in the berry bushes,  large areas flattened just off the trail, some new since yesterday.  Constant boy chatter.

Swimming off the pontoon boat in the stillness of the back lake.  My 16-year-old son taking charge, piloting the boat, dropping the anchor by hand since the anchor winch is having issues.  Seeing him dump his 10-year-old cousin into the lake to find out if the water is warm or cold – instructing him just before he dropped him to yelp once if it’s warm, twice if it’s cold.  One yelp.  Watching his tall frame spin through the air in an attempted back flip into the water, hearing his laughter as he comes up.  Floating on a home-made raft of “noodles”, eyes closed, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face.

My sister and I cooking a dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs, beans and salad.  Chatting with Mom as we cook. letting her simply sit at the table as we prepare to feed the hungry hoard.  Conversation around the dinner table.  Laughter.

Having my son put is head on my shoulder as we sit side by side on the couch in the quiet of the night.  Not too big, not too old, at least not yet.

Simple pleasures all.  Yet worth more, as they say, than all the tea in China.