Oregon {Bigger Picture Moment}

"There is nothing like returning to a place that  remains unchanged 

to find the ways in which you  yourself have altered."  

Nelson Mandela

There is an expanse of the sky that floats above a valley that holds my Oregon "home".

I have known the joy of visiting Central Oregon for a week or so every year for about thirty years. And this time tomorrow, I will, once again, be settling in for a nice, long stay. It's been three years....so I am eager. I am ready!

My husband's parents live in a lovely home built on a rim rock. This home has a deck...with a view. A magnificent view of a beautiful river valley. Since we began visiting this particular place I've lived in two different countries, four different towns and six different houses. I've changed professions, watched two kids learn to drive, and seen them graduate from high school and head off to find their own lives. Last year, my daughter got married! So, as life has sped along and often felt tumultuous, this expanse of sky is always there to remind me that the essential pieces of my life remain unchanged.

The first time I read Mandela's quote I thought of this place that has become so very important and special to me. It is a haven. A place to sit, walk, talk, meditate....regroup. It quiets the noise and sharpens my awareness that those things I hold most dear (my faith and my family) remain strong. And it awakens in me a sense that I am growing ~ not stuck (as the day to day might sometimes suggest)...growing closer to God and to those I love. And growing to know, accept and love myself more and more....

There really is nothing like returning to this place!