By Bonnie J. Bardos

 

“We were riding through frozen fields in a wagon at dawn.
A red wing rose in the darkness.
And suddenly a hare ran across the road.
One of us pointed to it with his hand.
That was long ago. Today neither of them is alive,
Not the hare, nor the man who made the gesture.
O my love, where are they, where are they going
The flash of a hand, streak of movement, rustle of pebbles.
I ask not out of sorrow, but in wonder.”

~ Czeslaw Milosz, “Encounter”

For days (and weeks) before every April 23, I spend sizable chunks of time contemplating life — how fleeting and wonderful. No bouts of despair or complaint these days; I’m pretty dang grateful to get another trip around the sun.

AARP has been undulating me with membership applications since I turned 45—surely they’ve wasted a tree or two in all those incessant mailings. It’s entertaining to get carded for wine purchases one place and get offered a senior discount another. That’s life! ( I can attest, dear reader, that no one on the planet believes I’m under 21 but it feels a wee bit flattering).

When you get past a certain age (hopefully) you become truly grateful. For everything. Not sayin’ I’m PAST any ‘certain age’ or over any hill, but you get the drift. Along the path, and up the hill, I’ve learned some simple truths, and as ever, will share them with you, just in case you haven’t yet found them, or a reminder.

It’s not complicated, not at all. Wear whatever colors (including hair color) and things that give you delight. Always, always, have a good dog, a good cat, or something to keep the heart tender. Be kind — it doesn’t cost a penny. Keep fresh flowers or something growing in your house — all year. Be happy with what you have. When you’re happy with little, the world is your oyster. Give from your heart. Keep books, art and music around. Smile at others. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Be a friend. Have a compost heap. Tip well. Pay it forward. Don’t lose your inner child. Lick the bowl. Be in awe. Have smooth soft sheets; life’s too short not to.

Speaking of not sweating small stuff, this morning I hurried out to the shed to fire up the push mower before company showed. Strangely, the ‘start/stop’ handle had gone missing, so I made do with the reel mower instead to do a fifty-cent trim. Next, the weed eater ran amok, rasping for life with rude noises. (Obviously the universe conspired to keep me away from yard work.) Unperturbed by all the yard equipment on strike, I noted out loud to myself “That’s life,” and instead, made do with picking armloads of azaleas to bring inside, full of wonder at spring, sun, and grateful of the day. That’s life. Indeed.

Saluda Welcome Table is every Tuesday, with dinner served from 5:30-7 p.m. in the fellowship hall of Saluda United Methodist Church. All are welcome; donations are accepted.

Kids and parents take note! There’s a fun and free (thanks to Polk County Community Foundation) Saluda Play Day coming up on April 25, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at McCreery Park.

A tour of Saluda homes and silent auction to help raise funds for the Saluda Depot will be on June 6. If you’d like to help preserve the historic Saluda Depot, you can send donations or pledges (tax deductible!) to Saluda Historic Depot, PO Box 990, Saluda, NC 28773 or emailsavesaludadepot@gmail.com.

“Walks in the Woods” continue through November on the first and third Sundays of the month. Meet at Saluda Library at 2 p.m. to carpool. Contact Chuck Hearon at 828-749-9886 or 828-817-0364 for information. Saluda Community Land Trust (SCLT) will benefit from your donations or time as a volunteer for their many community projects. For information, contact SCLT at 828-749-1560 or visit www.saludasclt.org.

Happy April birthday to: Martha Ashley, Melody Gibson, Dave Prudhomme, Kaye Vazquez, Cindy Keeter, Betty Anna Brown, Hope Pace, Diane Pace, Ruth Anderson, Greaton Sellers, Clay Arrington, Bonnie Bardos, Luther Connor, Gary Pace, Dee Owen, Doug Honeycutt, and Niece Lundgren and Tommy Williamson.

Saluda Sympathy goes toward the family of Bert Browning—Bert always had a smile on his face and such a sense of joy.

Thank you dear readers, for reading this column. I love hearing from you! Whether you live here, or just wish you were here, the goal is to make you feel like you’re enjoying a front porch visit and small town life in a friendly little mountain town called Saluda. You can email me at bbardos@gmail.com, call 749-1153, visit bonniebardos.com for more writing and art, or find me on Facebook.