24 July 2012

. . . they walked and walked and walked . . .

. . . it was early this morning . . .
. . . about six o'clock . . .
. . . nearly time to go walking . . .
. . . tuesday is green trash 
and recycled trash day . . .
. . . as i emptied 
all our diet coke and lemonade cans
 {with loud clanking} 
and walked the green and blue bins 
out to the curb, 
i thought i heard 
someone sweeping . . .
. . . it was actually 
the sound of a lawn rake . . .
. . . my sweet neighbor 
was raking MY yard . . .
{thanks, susie!}
. . . crazy wind/dust storms 
over the weekend 
had left my yard 
looking sort of like this . . .
{well ~ maybe not quite so bad} 


. . . i planned 
to clean up the needles myself 
after walking . . .
{about three miles, or so}
. . . but she'd beat me to it . . .
. . . she assured she wouldn't 
do the whole yard . . .
{she did the worst part}
. . . so, i finished when i got home . . .
. . . i managed to get 
blisters on both thumbs . . .
. . . the one on my left hand 
tore open . . .
. . . wah wah wah . . .

. . . then i started thinking about today
 ~ the 24th of july ~ 
the day my church 
celebrates the arrival 
of the mormon pioneers 
to the great salt lake valley . . .
. . . they'd been walking, too . . .
{about thirteen hundred miles}
. . . they had blisters . . .
{and mostly no shoes}
. . . they'd been sleeping 
on pine needles . . .
{those things are pokey!}
. . . their faith was incredible . . .
. . . their determination unmatched . . .


. . . i doubt i'd have made 
a very cheerful pioneer . . .
. . . i'm pretty sure 
i'd never have been 
anyone's choice 
for a first wife . . .
. . . not in those days 
before makeup 
and blow dryers . . .

. . . but i am thankful every day 
for their sacrifice . . .  
. . . their dedication 
to what they knew 
to be true . . . 
. . . leaving their homes, 
their friends, 
their comfortable circumstances . . .
. . . many of them 
burying family members 
along the trail . . .
. . . traveling across this great land 
to build a new home . . .
. . . a home where 
they could worship 
as they pleased . . . 
. . . blessed, honored pioneers . . . 

{tomorrow's the day i'll pick a winner}



2 comments:

Nedra said...

Amen :)

With Love, Bobbi said...

got a little teary-eyed there. Although I don't feel I was born in the correct generation, its not the 1800's I feel I belong... but instead of being Mrs. Darcy I'm afraid I'd be Mrs. Bennett..... : )