This weekend I had the complete and utter joy of spending two nights and three days with my dear women friends at Mary Ann’s lovely lake house. It was such a total refresh and reset to be in, on, and around that beautiful lake. As I recently wrote, I had been longing for time by the water. Of course, I’m always keening toward water, it seems, like a shorebird that’s somehow landed very far inland, very confused. But a nice long water sabbatical restores me to myself. I have returned home renewed. Ahh.
On Friday there were hours spent lazing around on floaties in the water. Friday night, after eating, drinking, and playing games, found us lying on the dock, stargazing. The half moon dimmed the stars a bit, but I did see two shoot across the sky. Love. Saturday morning I sat at the end of the dock and meditated, my eyes half open to the gently rocking water. Twice we took kayaks down the cove to a beautiful channel one of the residents had created. It was totally quiet and peaceful there, a green, almost parklike surround, with trees scattered and among them a single picnic table. No houses or docks. Again, ahh.
Two of us had recently spoken about how much we love the ocean, wondering briefly why we live landlocked, as we do. But then she almost immediately said what I was thinking. It’s because of this very group of friends that we are unwilling to move away from here, even to our longed-for ocean.
We have the gift of companionable togetherness and high regard for each other. Each of us commented at one time or another during the weekend how lucky we felt to be there but also to be with each other. We all recognize the greatness of our easy companionship and we speak of it often. I think too that we enjoy the same balance of silliness and depth, while also loving many of the same things. Food and drink; games; laughter; singing; travel; adventure; the great outdoors; hiking; canoeing; books; and meaningful conversation. I’m smiling to myself for listing “food and drink” first. We are very good eaters!
Plans were discussed for a trip to Montana, specifically Glacier National Park next year. Road trip? Or train trip?!? Fly fishing . . . hiking . . . kayaking? Yes, please. Montana will be our oyster. But even if, for some unfathomable reason, that doesn’t happen, this, right here, will still be our oyster.
So today I am filled up with gratitude for my wonderful friends and for the beauty that lives right here where I’ve been planted.
“My mother always wanted to live near the water,” she said. “She said it’s the one thing that brings us all together. That I can have my toe in the ocean off the coast of Maine, and a girl my age can have her toe in the ocean off the coast of Africa, and we would be touching. On opposite sides of the world.” ― Megan Miranda, Vengeance
“Soul friendships are the safety net of the heart.” – Susan Jeffers
“There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate.”― Linda Grayson
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Thanks for listening,
Kay
P.S. MerryThoughts is the name of my first book, out of print at the moment. The word is a British one, referring both to a wishbone and to the ritual of breaking the wishbone with the intention of either having a wish granted or being the one who marries first, thus the “merry thoughts.”