finally, a start

My, oh, my. I have considered starting a blog for some time and now, here I am. As we approach the most historic election of my lifetime, and as I enter my second year of marriage as well as my first year as an official aunt, I hope to simply record some musings, observations, questions and hopes I have for the world at large and my own small corner of it.

The photo I include today was taken as I awaited word that my nephew had been born and that my sister was doing fine. Jeremy, my husband, and I were home at the same time which is all too rare these days. It was October 2nd, which turned out to be the day before my sister gave birth. It was warm, but the nip of autumn infused the air, and our breath as we shared a walk to the Lake. We live about 4 blocks from Lake Michigan and while parts of our neighborhood are a bit troubled, the walk is one that epitomizes Chicago to me.

As you walk down the sometimes crowded, often bare sidewalks toward the Lake, you pass houses and large, old apartment buildings; new condo developments and vacant lots; tattered storefronts and well-kept lawns...you hear crying babies and laughing children; angry voices and exhausted vehicles; dogs who bark softly and birds who caw loudly. You walk under the el tracks and past puttering pigeons. This, again, is all within about 4 blocks.

Then, you arrive. There is a horizon, the underside of which is dotted with willow trees and sandy beaches; with prairie grass and local artwork...at the top of this view is the water, above which lies the distance.

There is a patience and a calm energy about the beach that lies 4 blocks from our house. It borders a very busy city and somehow sucks that energy in and uses it to ground us as we approach. Part of my reason for choosing the place we live now, back when we were looking at 10 places a day, was indeed its proximity to this beach - to this place that feels decidedly different than the rest of the city. I love the city but deep within me is a girl who grew up in the country and who needs to know there is some deep nature that can also be felt on the surface not too far from my door.

The day before my nephew, A.J. was born, I was something of a nervous wreck - worried about my sister, and wishing I were there to hold her hand; worried about A.J. and hoping his entry into the world would be somehow wonderful though I knew in my mind that Sarah was strong and would be fine and that hundreds of thousands of children are born everyday, and to the medical personnel it was just another one. Despite knowing this, I needed to breathe in some of the nature that I knew would ground me more than the city can. So, we walked to the Lake and it was lovely. Looking into the distance that day, with Jeremy, I saw the horizon and I let it be just that...and the wind was just strong enough that I couldn't even hear the traffic buzzing a half mile or so behind us.

Welcome, A.J. - there are a lot of beautiful places in this world and you have so many yet to see!