Every so often, my husband and I step outside for a “yard assessment”. This is how it works. Near the end of the day on a weekend we will stop what we are doing, grab a cold drink and head out into the back yard. We take a walk around and talk about what we think needs to be done. We discuss what we still want to accomplish, like adding a deck or some new plants. We also take note of the projects that we have finished together, remembering how bare it was when we first started.
This may sound funny, but this simple walk through the yard is one of my favorite things that we do together. We talk about our plans for the yard but it’s more than that. More often than not, we end up on the deck and the talk turns from what has taken place in the yard to what has taken place in our lives. It’s a time for us to stop and see where we have been, what we have accomplished and where we are headed.
Now I’m not saying we are like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting or anything. This can be as simple as planning dinner for the night. It might be something that we have struggled with that week or we might discuss an upcoming event on the calendar. My point is that this quick yard assessment turns into a quick life assessment. It sounds goofy, but there it is.
We all need time to check in with each other. To reconnect. To listen and to be listened to. To make sure we are still on the same page and maybe pull some metaphorical weeds. To plant something new. Life is busy. So busy that it’s easy to forget the simple things in your own back yard.
At the risk of sounding like an even bigger goof-ball, one of my favorite movies growing up was the Wizard of Oz. In it, Dorothy has the best line at the end of the movie, when she says, “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”
I can relate to Dorothy as we chat on the deck. I think that happiness and fulfillment in life are found in our own back yards. And, they must first be found in our hearts and in our homes, because if you can’t find them there, you won’t find them anywhere else.
BB – it is funny how just visiting your backyard creates for other conversations. Keith and I prepare our coffee cups and go set outside on our porch or deck and we talk about what we want to do with our yard or house. And then we’ll move on to talk about something else or we’ll just sit in silence to listen to everything else around us.There is just something about being outside than being inside. It’s relaxing, and for once, it seems like time slows down a bit, and I like it.
We are always on the go, but I must say, I’d rather be home absorbing the surroundings of our views, and God’s creatures. That’s my happiness and fulfillment.
Enjoyed reading your blog!
BB I so love this sentiment! It is so true. We have the power to make our own happy. Appreciate what we have and know the grass is not greener on the other side! Love your writings.
Thanks so much! Being fellow Wizard Of Oz-ians, we think alike!