Dawn's Notes
Meandering - June 2022
by Dawn Phelps, RN/LMSW
The fall of 2020 my husband and I made a brief weekend trip to southeast Oklahoma to the Grand Lakes area. We stayed Friday night then slowly meandered our way back home on Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the seventies. It was a joy to travel leisurely, no responsibilities, a time to enjoy the scenes along the way. As you all know, 2020 and 2021 were not the easiest years. The virus left a trail of sickness and sadness behind. Many of us stayed closer to home, and our social lives were limited. So our short trip was a wonderful break—a few peaceful hours together and the opportunity to make some new memories.
On the way to Oklahoma, we stopped at a restaurant in a small town in southeast Kansas. We ordered hamburgers, and while the burgers were cooking, Tom bought a piece of coconut cream pie (his favorite), and he was not disappointed—he shared it with me—dessert first! On the way back to Kansas the next morning, we deliberately stopped at the same restaurant for another piece of pie. Before we got there, I had decided to order chocolate pie, and my husband planned to get another piece of coconut cream. We soon found out they were only serving a breakfast buffet, but a few pieces of pie had survived from the previous week. Since they were sold out of our first choices, we both chose Almond Joy pie. The pie consisted of a layer of coconut cream filling topped with chocolate and slivered almonds. We were both happy—we savored every bite! Then we kept on traveling northwest.
In Labette County, near Neosho Falls, an eagle flew up from the side of the road. We only got a quick peek of him, but what a joy to be so close to that majestic creature! We traveled up and down some winding, steep hills. The highway ran parallel to two railroad tracks for several miles. We saw a large limestone gravel pit to the left of the highway, with piles of large rip-rap rock and massive piles of gravel. An arm of the railroad track ran through the gravel pit, probably to transport rock away from the pit. The highway went through large fields of pastureland, and there were several right-angle turns in the highway. We went through Eureka, Kansas, and Cassoday (population 100). Next we drove through a small town called Matfield Green. It was founded in 1858 by David Mercer and was named for a town near his former home called Matfield on the Green in England. Not far from Matfield Green we passed a beautiful farm named South Fork W Ranch with a large stone house setting back in a field—a beautiful sight! The house and farm were surrounded by fences made of thousands of stones, similar to the historic old fences in the UK. The farm and the fences were meticulously maintained. The rest of our trip home was uneventful. It was not an expensive trip by any means, yet it was one of our most memorable ones—at just the right time, when we needed to get away, even though briefly, and see the countryside that included man-made and more importantly God-made wonders.
By the following spring, the world was a bit more hopeful, and warmer weather brought pleasant breezes and beauty—purple violets, red tulips, and multicolored hyacinths in our backyard flower bed. From our front window, I looked in awe at our redbud trees and their bundles of fluffy pink blooms and spring-green leaves that emerged on the trees. During the winter months, hungry birds had entertained us at our bird feeders. In the late spring, our hummers and orioles returned—tiny gifts from nature which can be healing in any circumstance, especially if your heart is sad.
After my first husband died, I found peace in some of the simplest things such as taking a walk or going for a short drive. Nature provided most of my entertainment for free! Springtime flowers and green trees when summer arrived. Red-winged blackbirds by the pond, a turkey nest with eggs along the path, and prairie chickens flying up in the pasture. Little surprises! If you are feeling sad, here’s a suggestion. How about taking a little ride and invite a friend to ride along with you. No agenda. Maybe just point to a direction and go. Travel slowly and explore what’s along the way. Just meander and appreciate the simple, beautiful things around you. Maybe you will even find a place to stop for a piece of pie! Try it and enjoy your ride! Meandering can be good for the soul!
Call about the next "Living Life after Loss" Group at:
Meadowlark Hospice
709 Liberty, Clay Center, Kansas
(785) 632-2225
Dawn Phelps, RN/LMSW, Group Facilitator