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| After a thunderstorm in the Paradise Valley |
We are grieving.
Again. It isn’t the horrible,
tragic kind of grieving. But it is
grief, nonetheless. We are grieving
having to leave our sacred space, our thin place - one more time. On Wednesday morning, we’ll drive out of the
Paradise Valley, our hearts grateful and our eyes tearful. Every single year, on the banks of the
Yellowstone River, under Emigrant Peak, in the shadows of the Absaroka Mountains... we find our souls.
We forget
what day it is. We forget what time it
is. We bask in the morning sun and
listen to the river flow by our bedroom.
We revel in the sweet fellowship we have with family and friends. We laugh as we watch our dog, Brooks, run in
circles around Riversbend Lodge, hoping a bunny will slow down enough to let
her catch it. We drift in and out of
sleep for an afternoon nap. We turn off
all the lights in the lodge and look up at the stars we can hardly see when
we’re in the city. We fly fish with our grandpa and play poker with childhood friends.
We build a fire and roast marshmallows with a
treasured niece. We pour out our hearts
to our mentor-friends who ask good questions and remind us to go easy on
ourselves. We eat well and enjoy our wine. We read all the books we haven’t gotten to
during the rest of the year. We settle in for long silences.
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| Sunset from Riversbend Lodge |
Henri Nouwen said: “The whole of nature is a sacrament pointing to a reality far beyond itself.”
This statement is never more true
than when we are in this place.
This place is our reminder.
Our marker. So that in September
we take some time for a longer walk and pay more attention to the sky above
us. So that in November and December we are more
present with our family as we recount our blessings. So that in February, in the bleakness of
winter, we begin to think of the coming Spring with anticipation. So that in April, when something particularly difficult might have happened, we more quickly remember that we are cared for. So that in May we are dreaming of cool
temperatures, clear water and time with those we love in the place we love. So that in the summer, as we drive back into
the Paradise Valley, our smiles big and our hearts full, we are ready again to
find our souls, in the nature that is a sacrament pointing to the One who
sustains us all year long.
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| Rachel and Nate @ the Livingston Rodeo |
Long ago, we learned that when we say "Amen" at the end of a prayer or something that someone says, we are really saying - "So be it!" And so...
Amen from the Quan Family!
P.S. As always, we are grateful for our MT friends - dear people whose hospitality makes our life richer. Thanks Carol & Pete Reed for the hugs and the cookies, the shooting lessons and the grace you extend to us all year long - and thanks, Jeff, for building such a sweet retreat!
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| Nate's Big Catch |
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| Poppa and Nate fly fishing at dusk while Brooks & Dave watch |
