A Quiet Place

My anticipation is always the same.

I roll down the car window as I drive through the gate.

Behind me, is my century. Ahead, the reminder of a time that will never be again.

Serenity hangs in the air like Spanish moss from cypress trees.

The air is cleaner on this side of the entrance. The world is simpler. Better.

I take my foot off of the accelerator and coast at the speed of the horse-drawn carriages that passed this way over a hundred years ago.

The twenty foot stems of river cane wave like giant, green wheat on the Kansas plains. And rustle like the silk taffeta gowns of graceful ladies waltzing across the parquet floors of a ballroom.

The river has whittled down to a mere creek at this point in its path.

But I know when I reach the other edge of this world, the expanse is deep. With small white caps and rapids that sparkle and dance with the joy of being.

I drive out of the tunnel of trees and bushes.

A huge field capped by an endless sky and flanked by a rolling hill is my next treat. They have planted corn this year. The plants are still young. But a few months will bring a yield of juicy, yellow sunshine enveloped in silk on thousands of emerald stalks.

And then the lane curves to reveal massive evergreens, oaks, and maples.

A pond with lily pads and grass shimmers and ripples as I pass.

Then I’m surrounded by rhododendron and mountain laurel and azaleas, covered in blooms that present a palate of equally pale and vibrant hues.

My eyes draw in every inch and my mind struggles to catalog it for later retrieval.

I want to put it in my pocket.

To have it with me always.

The quiet, the fragrance of flowers and evergreen, the flickers of sun around patches of shade, the solar flare of colors, and the soft cool fingers of the morning air.

It is not mine forever.

But it is mine for this moment in time, regardless of the century, the season, or the rest of the world.

Where is your spirit renewed?

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Joni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.

May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.