A Pilgrim’s Digression

Lately for no particular reason, I have been feeling supremely happy with my life. Nothing special is happening right now, but for whatever reason I feel good. Furthermore, the smallest event is likely to trigger that feeling of glowing warmth inside, like someone just gave me a wonderful present.

Late yesterday evening, I was watering the rose bushes, and I got that feeling. We cooked chicken and corn on the cob on the grill last night, and I got that feeling. Lynn and I were sitting together watching “Mad Men,” and I got that feeling.

Maybe it’s a combination of things triggering these feelings. On the one hand, at odd times I’ve had the recurring thought that this is likely to be my Grandma’s last summer. So the nearness of death makes me appreciate the life that I have. Also, the weather has been extremely mild this weekend. Today, the high is only supposed to reach 79, which is spectacular for August. Additionally, Lynn and I have really been enjoying each other’s company lately. We have been playing a game of Scrabble together in the evening, something we used to do back in the first days of our relationship. The sex has been pretty good, too.

Also, last week my mother-in-law, two nieces, and a nephew came to stay with us for several days. Ordinarily, such a visit might be the cause of extreme strife within our marriage. I know that there was a time when I would have been one miserable S.O.B for a week, while they visited. But, for one thing, I wasn’t home all week (On Monday, I went back to D.C. to work and did not return until Thursday, one day before they left). And for another, seeing how much Brendan enjoyed having his cousins here for a week was a real pleasure. I’m sure he is going to have some great memories of this summer.

Also, before I left for work on Monday, they threw me an impromptu surprise birthday party. My birthday is not until October, but my mother-in-law said that since they never get to celebrate it with me in October, she wanted to have a party this week.

That little party was so unexpected, I had to choke back a few tears.

Every little thing seems to trigger an emotion, now.

I remember when I was little, one of my favorite fairy tales was the Three Billy Goats Gruff. I can still remember sitting on my grandma’s lap while she read that story to me from a book that had been my Dad’s back in the fifties, when he was little.

I never really got the point of the story, other than troll’s live under bridges. That triggers another memory: riding with my grandparents across the Memorial Bridge in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and hearing my grandpa say “We have to pay the toll” except what I heard was “We have to pay the troll.” I got down in the floor of the car and hid until Grandpa and Grandma laughed and told me what he really said.

The point of the story, muddled as it is, seems to be that if the grass is greener on the other side, go get it. Just make sure you have a big brother to kick the troll’s ass.

Well, I am at a point in my life where I don’t particularly care whether the grass is greener on the other side of the bridge. I’m happy with the green grass of home.