green.

i am visiting my friends & family with jo here in the green state of mississippi.  green state?  yes.  i'd forgotten how many evergreens fill the space here.  my mother's home sits beside a small forest of trees.  trees that as children my brother and i would build forts under, collect small signs of life (cocoons, cicada skins, bark and moss).  we would have adventures, probably no more than 50 feet from home, but it felt like the deep forests of some other world.  

recently richard, jo, and i set off to find a little park that was on the richmond map being developed.  the map was a few years old.  we've been setting out to find new spaces to explore around the river and in different parts of our richmond home.  we found it by arthur ashe elementary school off creighton road.  there are two small parks with woodland between.  we explored the woods on our second trip out.  it took me back to the greens and exploration of childhood.  wham.  it was a blast that filled me from my head to toes.  my feet knew where to go, even though i'd not stepped foot in this area.

there are familiar places and spaces in our lives.  sometimes the familiarity brings hope and joy and sometimes fear and pain.  while home for me can be a mix of both, i am happy to reintroduce my three-year old to folks here.  with each trip he explores people and places anew.  he remembers more and more each time, and looks forward to our many mini-adventures along the way.  

this week is spent absorbing the green spaces around my childhood, passing it along to my beautiful son.  his spirit of adventure is alive and alert.  mine is, too.  for this time and this space of home, i am thankful.