A guest at the Mumfords’ farmhouse, I watch the afternoon sun spread its shadowy glaze over the northern vista. The curtains in this upstairs bedroom sway to the gentle breeze, and I relax on an old quilt spread over a spindle bed.Just yesterday, I watched as the Mumford family navigated across their land with hounds following close behind. Out for a Sunday afternoon together, this young family’s hike took them down a tree-covered lane into the woods and then over creeks and fields. I welcomed their brief visit and took pleasure in watching them move in unison up the gravel road and onto the porch. These are the kind of people you get close to right away, and within minutes I felt like an old family friend. There are far too few times in my life when everything seems just as it should be, but this Sunday afternoon was definitely such a moment. They joined me as we sat under an apple tree just across from cornfields ready for harvest while birds flew in abundance and turtles slowing swam in the nearby pond. I remembered Sunday afternoons when my husband and I pedaled our tandem bicycle up and down neighborhood streets with our daughter riding securely in her seat behind us. She’d always fall fast asleep and rest her little head in the middle of my back. And so it went, time and time again. Like the Mumfords, we also made choices about what was important. Perhaps that’s what draws me to this family as I am able to reflect on my own life as a young mother. If I could have just said it in a way they had understood, I would have tried to explain how cherished this day is for them. I’d have gone on to say, “If you ever live in the moment, let it be today, because tomorrow will come far too quickly.” But for now, I find great company in my memories, and peace of mind finds me once more, as I delight in the joy of Sunday afternoons. |