Feeling a little blue this AM, I reflect on my word of the month and think on it awhile. Respect is a word that can be used in a many situations, all conjuring up a different mental image. In the writing world, this is delicious. If I’m writing about the respect a child shows for a parent, the image is different than that of a homeowner showing respect for their home. Right now, we might all show respect for the country that has served us well, and the changing of the political scene.
I respect our flag and everything it stands for. My two sons gave 40 years of their lives serving our country, often in harms way in the desert. Having traveled to ten countries myself, I didn’t run across one in which I’d have liked to live out the remainder of my years. Even Switzerland, in its parklike beauty, wasn’t home. Not in the least bit.
Traveling through the country over three years and 50,000 miles, I learned so much. Beauty surrounded us at every turn, I learned that my American roots run deep. There are indeed prairies where the deer and antelope play. I’ve watched sunrises there, hand in hand, with VST. Until you have seen Big Sky, you have no idea what that phrase means. The feeling in your heart when you stand in the middle of Big Sky in the darkness and see the stars is overwhelming. A spiritual experience found nowhere else.
Breathtaking, the beauty of the Grand Canyon leaves me speechless every time. There really is a main street Winslow, Arizona, full of pretty girls in flat bed Fords. Wild bison still roam in South Dakota. But the best thing of all is our people. Fellow Americans. We are different, and yet not. We all have a love of country. Our core beliefs are different, but we all love our home passionately. That’s an important trait we all hold in our hearts. Somehow, we have embraced wildly different ways of expressing our ideas on the emotional way we feel about America. Respecting our home and country, it’s a prayer from my soul that we can find commonalities in which to start meaningful conversations again. The shouting needs to stop as we find respect in the art of listening more than talking.
VST, being one of the most respectful people I have known in my life, always listened more than talked. At work, farmers would come in like boiling tea pots, frothing while whistling in a whiny kind of way. VST would just turn off the fire, listening the entire time, until they cooled off. Then, he’d have thought up a way to turn their gaze towards a solution to their problem. He was masterful at this and did it in all aspects of his life. Never losing his cool, he knew how to really listen, searching for solutions, and never breaking a frown or sweat. I miss that.
Today, I’m going to start by respecting my peace and quiet in this age of Covid. The television will remain off, as I plan my spring garden and the new flowers that are going to grow there. I may step into the sunshine and prune some roses. Oliver and I will play frisbee a bit, while looking for birds that are doing their best to find a little warmth in the trees these days.
Respecting my body, I plan to take a walk in the sunshine. Respecting my neighbors, I’m going to smile and wave with an open hand to everyone I pass. I’m going to plan a diet friendly meal and get back on track, because, bathing suits are unforgiving, and my spa days are right around the corner. Respecting my own feelings, I may just need a nap later today, because stress negates energy. Listening to my own bio-rhythms, I’ll know what I need to do.
In respect for VST’s memory, I may work on my scrap booking a little later today, placing pictures in the order in which they were taken, year after year. Remembering that we were respectful to each other makes me feel even luckier than ever before. Respect was a cornerstone of the success of 32 beautiful years. Our differences of opinion, ways of completing a task, or ways of showing our love to each other were always a source of respect and awe. It kept things new and exciting. Valued and cherished.
Today, please, find things respected in your life. Things respect worthy. Spend some time with a person you respect, and tell them you do. Drive respectfully. Try to think of just one thought about our country with respect. Wave at a neighbor. Perform a random act of kindness. Today is the perfect day for it. Time’s a wasting.