THANKFUL FRIDAY
Cindy Maddera
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The other evening, I was sitting on the back step waiting for Josephine to do her final backyard patrol for the night. The ground was damp from that day's rain and the temperature was nice enough that I didn't feel the need for a sweater. The chickens were already tucked into their coop for the night. A gentle breeze stirred the honeysuckle, releasing their sweet smell. I scanned the jungle of our backyard trying to find Josephine in the last remaining light of the day and that's when I spotted the tiny flash of light. The first firefly of the season danced across the backyard. I sat and watched this lone firefly bobbing around, lighting up here and there, until the very last of the day's light leaked away.
Our Spring has been an indecisive Spring. When Mom was here a couple of weekends ago, we went to my favorite place to buy tomato plants and they had all their plants crammed inside. It was too cold to have anything outside. So, Mom and I squeezed our way through narrow cramped isles to hunt for tomato plants and basil. I've taken my electric blanket off the bed only to put it back on twice now. Last week, we still had the furnace on. The colder temperatures, topped with all the rain has made it hard for me to believe that we will see any kind of Summer. The rain has not let up, but the temperatures have started to rise. The electric blanket has been put away, the furnace turned off and the air conditioner turned on. I wore a tank top while walking the dog yesterday.
Winters are hard on me. Spring is a little better than Winter, but not by much. Hopes raised for brighter days are consistently crushed by continuous days of gray. Summer is my time, no matter how hot it gets. The endless days of blue skies sometimes streaked with pink clouds never fail to make me feel lighter. Those summer evenings, watching the fireflies dance around the yard, awakens my inner carefree child. I want to make ice cream the old fashion way and lay on a blanket, counting the stars as they appear in the sky. I want to crawl out from under the cold dank rock that I feel like I've been living under for the last few months. I am thankful for that tiny blinking firefly because he is like a lighthouse beacon for summer. Now if we could just get this rain to stop...
I am thankful for the moments between the rain when I've been able to walk the dog. I am thankful for the time I spent on my mat. I am thankful for tiny cups of ice cream. I am thankful for the promise of love and laughter to come this weekend. And..I am thankful for you. Have a safe and relaxing weekend, maybe taking a moment to remember why it's called Memorial Day and a truly Thankful Friday.