Even as so many pieces of the Big Picture seem to be on the road to the big garbage dump, it’s hard not to appreciate days like this here in the mountains, with the sky a perfect summer blue over miles of sunflowers lining the road to and from where I travel.
I am eating tomatoes from my garden. The daily flocks of birds are back at the feeders in hopes that the bear will not return. And, on Monday, I will set out for five whole days away from caregiving. I have not had that stretch of time away from my mother in six or more years.
It’s supposed to rain most of those five days, but I will take the sense of this sunflower day with me as I visit my grandson (who just started kindergarten) and his parents, and then go on to spend a few days with my women friends in Albany.
I don’t know how my brother is going to manage our mother by himself while I’m gone. He has agreed to have a friend who is a home health aide come in on one day to give him a break. I don’t think that’s going to be enough, and I am willing to pay to bring someone in every day. He makes his choices and he takes his chances.
Meanwhile, the open road less traveled is waiting for me. It will all be here when I get back. Although the sunflowers might be getting droopy headed. Summer is, after all, over.