The garden is almost there.
Green tomatoes on the vine.
Pinkish raspberries on the bush.
Close, but not quite ripe.
Amazingly enough... soon and very soon, if not watched, those raspberries will be gone,and the tomatoes rotting under the plant.
Things in the garden are only ripe for a short time. Blink and you've missed the moment.
We just came home from a camping trip with the family. A rental 30' RV, a cooler of gatorades, a few bags of marshmallows and lots of library books.
It was a weekend of family time. All together in the same place and with not many plans.
And it was ripe.
Ripe for letting B loose on the bike, to ride and play and ride some more.
For letting loose on the eating healthy and saying yes to just a few more cookies.... jelly beans.... smores... etc.
And for the moments that will not come again.
K loved the lake. Loved it more than I have ever seen a 2 year old love anything. Squealing with laughter she swung from my hands -- feet swirling a figure 8 in the water -- smiling and flinging her head back to let her blonde hair trail in the water. Stopping to rest my arms, she looked up at me, brown eyes twinkling, "Momma, swim me more. please." And more we did. Without the tick of the clock, the pressure of the schedule, for a moment, it was her and I and the beauty of a cool lake on a hot day.
Ripe.
And JT, in his planning ways, smiled more over snacks and silly jokes than I had seen in awhile.
We ate over a picnic table, 3 meals a day in the fresh air, choosing our foods off the table against the camper... mostly meat on buns and fresh fruit... and lots of chips!
And celebrating a 4th bday.
Ripe.
Packing up, we almost patted each other on the back, proud of a job well done... and then it happened.
Driving home, on the freeway, following Big J and the RV.... I opened a window in the back to cool off the kiddos in the back seat, and looked in the rear view mirror just in time to catch the newly minted 4 year old laying her head back in her car seat with a giant grin on her face. Wind blowing her hair back. And I watched her sigh.
Ripe.
And I am blessed to know when to stop the work and take the time to reap what I have sown.
Blessed be the Lord for giving me the patience to wait for the season.
