Our property we are blessed to call home is surrounded by water.  The beautiful Portage River flows along the entire east and south sides while a small creek flows into the river on the west end of the property.  A pond we dug while our house was being built sits a couple hundred yards out our front door.

The sun peaks through the trees in the morning warming our hearts and home with its reminder of a glorious new day.

In the evening the sun sets over the pond and open field on the other side of the creek.

Nearly every night is a spectacular reminder of this amazing life we are here to enjoy.

As the sun sinks below the horizon, I shift my gaze inside our house.

The beautiful souls I share this space with teach me more about love and life than I could ever learn from a million books.  My heart fills with all the beauty outside our house; but my heart overflows with joy and wonder when I share the present moment with my family.

I could lose every material possession this world offers, but my family will always be the music that makes my heart sing.

Some days are cloudy, but if you choose to look hard enough you will find the sun amongst the clouds.

In closing, I would like to share a passage of The Beloved from Kahlil Gibran. It speaks to my love of words and why I long for you to be comfortable with your humanness:

“When secrets straiten the heart, when eyes are made raw by hot tears, and ribs nearly crack from the swelling of what is hidden in the breast, man can find no comfort but in words and complaint.  Sorrow, my friend, is eased by complaint.  The lover finds solace in words of longing.  The oppressed finds pleasure in seeking mercy . . . So I write to you.  I have become like the poet who sees beauty and who records, compelled by the power of his divine nature, the impressions of that beauty in verse.  I am like the poor and hungry child who, driven by the bite of his hunger, pleads with his mother for succor, unmindful of her poverty and destitution.”

No matter where you’re at in life, please know you are surrounded by beauty and love!!

 

Peace my Friends!

 

~Travis