Iris kicked off her sandals and wiggled her toes, the cool grass and strong earth beneath her feet sending a wave of peace traveling up her legs to suffuse her entire body. Eyes closed, she listened to the birds sing and, beneath that, the whisper of wind through the leaves of the tree under which she stood. Deeper still, the burbling of the brook at the bottom of the hill.
She opened her eyes to two expectant faces. They knew the drill. Smiling, she set down the picnic basket. “Yes, you can play now. Mommy has had her moment of peace.”
The twins careened barefoot down the hill, screeching in delight as they jumped into the brook, splashing each other in joyful abandon.
~~~
The ancient maple felt the woman deep in its roots, recognizing her from the many days they had shared. Blades of grass grew a little greener, the birds embellished their song with flourishes saved for special occasions, and the brook burbled a little more brightly. The patch of earth on which the woman had laid out her blanket, welcomed her weight as she sat reading, leaning back against the maple. Nature sighed in contentment.
Before I write my own comment, I want to suggest you make sure to read the addendum at the bottom of today’s post. I found it both fun and heartwarming.
This story came to me as I was falling asleep a few days before writing it. I knew I’d lose it by morning, so I turned the flashlight on on my phone and wrote the basics of it on a sticky note, which I then attached to the top of my night table.
There is something about standing barefoot in nature that is so deeply grounding and peaceful. Even stepping outside onto my deck in bare feet to stand among my plants can bring that feeling.
I’m fortunate that the person who put in the deck built a garden right into it. In addition to the flowers I grow there, I have three big pots, one with a lilac (Lyra), a second with a blueberry bush (Violet), and the third containing my daughter’s raspberry bush (Annie). I feel like I’m in my own little oasis when I’m with them.
Okay, here’s the promised end bit. I did several searches looking for a suitable picture for this piece. The first was for a brook, but none of the images suggested the feel I was going for. The second was for a maple tree. ditto. So, finally, I searched the word “barefoot.” This is one of the images that came up.
I hope you enjoyed seeing this “bearfoot” as much as I did! Should I write a story for this picture? Or is seeing it here enough. You tell me!
There’s nothing better than walking around barefoot in the summertime!
Yes to the bear story! 😊
Barefooting it is the best!