The Garden

Winter Writing Sanctuary 2023: Measuring a Lifetime

It was in the middle of an ordinary day and everyone was busy preparing for lunch while I stood there taking in all the vines, leaves, twigs, and blossoms adorning my mother's gardens. This was the garden of my childhood where I dreamed of fairies, elves, gnomes, and everything magical. I was seeing everything that was there, but also those that were no longer there, like my grandmother's rose patch, the old hut where my grandfather would spend his afternoon naps, and the lovingly-tended grotto that my stepfather built in my teenage years. This little piece of paradise, as simple as it was and still is, allowed me to imagine a world that turned into real adventures in worlds far beyond the walls of my childhood home. I allowed a teardrop cascade slowly on my face and it felt like that single drop encompassed my entire lifetime and the lifetimes of my loved ones who have gone ahead of me. I was still aware of the rhythmic clinking of glasses and plates behind me when my mother's voice called my name, so I gently wiped away that single tear and joined my entire family for lunch.

Lesson 1.4 of the Winter Writing Sanctuary 2023-2024 with Beth Kempton