The Things I Love

This morning I am preparing to leave home for a trip west to see my girls. I am reminded of that delightful commercial( I don't remember what it is advertising) where the little girl recites all the things she loves. I have been repeating this morning how much I love my home. At one point I referred to the character Amelia Walton in Ten Thousand Truths who had not left home for over thirty years wondering if in fact I would be content to follow her lead. Of course not. I do not want to go to that extreme. I love going away but I do hate leaving home. I love going out to see my girls, Meg and Cody. This time my sister in law Louisa is going with me and we are going to two family weddings and will get to join Elias and Mary in their celebrations. I will get to see Meg and Cody's new house and meet their neighbors. I get to bring my girls home with me. It will be great. I have done all I set out to do to get ready. The garden is all planted, (Burton says he will weed a bit) flowers and the yard looks good, the lawn is mowed and Ashlie is keen to keep it that way. All my writing goals have been met and I am free to go. But I love my home. I love watching each row in the garden change daily. I love my lake. I love my dogs. I love my husband(that was not an afterthought). I love what each season brings to my Walton Lake home. So this morning I take a deep breath and get ready to go. I will enjoy what the trip brings and keep the vision of coming home in my mind ,confident that the things I love will still be here when I return.