The Grove - darien3

the cyberspace escape zone of
darien3

the story of the grove

Picnic Grove area - prior to "development"

We all have "special places" in our lives, and if I had to choose one "sacred space" to me on this property, most likely this area - which has since been more developed into the "picnic grove" would be it - especially as far as in the immediate back yard goes. Today, this is practically all enclosed in the foreground of the photo, with flowering dogwoods and other foliage. Not only is this a place where the air is 10 to 15 degrees cooler in the summer, it's also at least a bit protected from the elements in winter. The larger tree to the left is a Canadian Hemlock. This was the ONLY tree in this area when I was a kid. The rest of the groundspace was a large vegetable and flower garden, and way off to what is the right side in this picture there was a chicken coop and small fenced area. Oh, yeah - now that I remember - there was also a Granny Smith ("green") apple tree next to that chicken coop.

There's a large rock under the hemlock tree, and I remember playing there with my cousins - as a small boy. We loved this place - my grandparents' farm - because it was life at its simplest - in the last of times, perhaps, before the "end of the innocence" as rock singer Don Henley put it. My grandparents had a way of making even the littlest thing seem special. My grandfather died when we were still kids, but my grandmother lived a very long and happy life. That happiness, she freely shared with all who knew her - especially with her grandchildren - and most especially with me, as I was - for whatever reasons (perhaps because I was sort of "orphaned")
I was by far her favorite.

Remember that this picture was taken about 10 years ago - not only before the grove was "developed" further, but also before the trees grew quite a bit more. The trees to the right and along the back of the grove area in this pic are Eastern Red Cedars and a couple are Junipers. My grandmother planted these, one by one, beginning on my first birthday. I guess that she probably began taking me with her to get them from the woods when I was 3, but I don't vividly recall doing this with her until on my 4th birthday. Then every single year we would plant one - I think until I was 13 or so. Trees lend permanence, so I guess her intentions were quite clear. Who's living here now?

I don't meditate these days as often as I should. The many different things I am involved in unfortunately haven't offered me much time to do so over the past several years. But this is STILL VERY MUCH a "spiritual" place for me. I often look outside, or drive into the yard, see those trees there and think of those times with Grandma. And I know that her spirit - her presence, deepest caring, and watchfulness - is still here - regardless if that may be just in the recesses of my deepest thoughts. Or just somewhere in the confines of my heart, in reality. It doesn't matter where; and I'm NOT disillusioned. It's comforting to look out and see the trees blanketed in snow, or to sit in the coolness of their solemn cover.

I guess that the moral of the story is that sometimes something so simple can offer so much more of a legacy than any fortune in gold or other "riches" ever could ...

I'm grateful it's a lesson my Grandmother taught me very early on in life - especially as I'm all but constantly reminded by others around me that many have totally missed this point.