#NewThisDay Writing From My Photo Stream

Red Dragonfly

The start of Autumn 
Is always decided by 
The red dragonfly.

Author: Kaya Shirao (1738 – 1791)

This morning, the month where summer becomes autumn began and we walked toward the river across the wet meadow this Sunday morning to the church of the woods and the meadows and the river and the hills. I did not sleep well. Awake on and off all night, I am reading (happily), Normal People by Sally Rooney and so bleary eyed I kept reading and dozing, reading and dozing. With an impending wedding and a daughter trying to move into her first apartment, I had things on my mind. I let the sounds of the birds and the wisp of a breeze rippling the river coax me into the here and now of my senses and out of my thoughts running around to questions and concerns. I stopped on the trestle bridge and talked to two cheerful and friendly fishermen in their kayaks and watched them catch and reel in a fish. Soon, I saw a red dragonfly flitting about on the green leaves and thought: I want its picture. So, I was patient, waiting for it to land and trust me to let me get close. Now, watching this dragonfly, following it and practicing stillness and patience was wonderful It’s all I was thinking about, and delight took the place of worry and concern. I watched this bright red winged creature for awhile until it had no more time for me today and took off completely. And it was like a visitation of hope and peace. I walked up the hill just to walk up the hill and back down, and then we headed home. Because I did the writing I needed to do – sending out my weekly photo-inspired writing prompt essay to my Aim for Astonishing list – I wanted to stay outdoors and do some more planting and brush clearing, and in the bright sunshine of the yard I worked, and Frank helped, while his father, (here briefly), talked on the deck to his grandchildren. I started a new little garden and put in the shrubs and Frank brought me, with his tractor, some good rocks. Then my youngest daughter stopped at my project and said she wanted to be build me a cairn for the garden; so she and her boyfriend took my wagon and found some more good stones and made me a cairn by the tree where I was planting. The dragonfly brought me so much peace and cheerfulness. Soon, I cleaned up. There were more apartments to see. And a phone call from my bride-to-be daughter, and I listened, because a bride becomes anxious about many things one week before her wedding. And she also wanted to say thank you to me and her father, for our patience. (Again, dragonfly, red dragonfly, who teaches me patience, thank you.) And, there was a feeling there WILL be a wedding by the river after all. Once again, I let the mystery and surprise of this process go forth. And, later still, she texted me a wish – an invitation – to take her dress shopping, again. I am always happy to go dress shopping and apartment hunting and late in the day, when there is the chance of a swim with my son and the dogs at Farm Pond in the cooling almost evening, well, I am wise enough and I go to the shore and I seize it.