Bread and a Lily
There is a Chinese Proverb that remains my required ritual upon returning from a trip away...
“When you have only two pennies, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.”
We arrived home late this afternoon from nearly a week away. I don't know about you, but a home un-lived in for a few days seems stale upon return. You know what brings it back to life? A refrigerator stocked with all things fresh and a bouquet of flowers sitting on your table. If I had but two pennies left in my pocket, I could sustain life on bread for my body and flowers for my soul.
We returned home from the Gulf with little more time but to unload the car, throw a pizza in the oven, dunk the kids in the bathtub, kiss them goodnight, and collapse on the couch. I guarantee the first thing on my to-do list tomorrow morning, after coffee of course, is a field trip to the grocery store to stock up on all of the things to restore my body and soul.
Mother nature must have known our busy schedule. She welcomed us home with bushes alive with color and fragrance. My birthday present from my parents of a beautiful new planter sits at the door bright with Impatiens. The little herb garden went without any tending to and still managed to perk up. What a pleasant greeting.
My home may be cluttered with stacks of laundry, trails of sand, and a stinky trash can, but the spring at my doorstep is enough to keep us alive one more night. We will reboot tomorrow.
