My Little Piece of Heaven

My first seven formative years were spent in Michoacán a place known for its beautiful forests.  My house was located in the outskirts of the pueblo where I could take a few steps and I was out in nature.  In the forest we had a small cabin to visit throughout the year, we would hike up to it and camp there many times during the year.  There were also at least two other times during the year when the whole town would go into the forest: after the rain for mushroom collecting and during the spring for Amapola (Poppy) picking.  We would pick the soft, pink flowers to adorn our heads with lovely crowns.  It was one of my favorite days of the year, sitting in Poppy fields with my friends while the adults prepared a feast for lunch.  When we moved to California, I yearned for a little piece of nature.  While other kids dreamt of toys, cramped in an apartment like sardines, I wished for a little piece of nature a home with a small backyard and a tree big enough for a treehouse.  How I dreamt of that house with a white picket fence and a little dog who belonged to me.  I grew up stuffed in that apartment, but my dreams flourished coming to fruition as an adult.  I have a home now with the little piece of nature I always wanted and a thriving avocado tree that produces yummy treats and the best shade!  Though no tree house has been built, I love spending time underneath my tree.  It might be my favorite place in the world.

Underneath its arms I get lost in thought, in prayer, sometimes I even nap.  Dad placed a beach lounge chair underneath the tree and he also spends a great deal of time resting underneath its branches.  When I am outside my little Cockatiel sings joyfully while my furball finds a place next to me to relax.  It’s no equivalent to the beautiful forests of my past, but it’s a little reminder of God’s providence.  This weekend I went to a birthday party, a wedding, a bridal shower and my Third Order Franciscans meeting and while my busy schedule might say that I love parties- the truth is I would rather spend my days underneath my tree.  Yet, God has blessed me with a large family and many friends – and relationships require sacrifice and being present…  So, many times I return to my comfortable haven to reenergize and even recuperate from so much social activity.  People often tell me that I do a lot, others think that I am a party girl because my schedule can sometimes be so full of activity; but, I really love being home.  I love alone time with my animal friends in my simple backyard.  I am quite boring really, but I do have a responsibility to cultivate the lot God gave me and since my love language is quality time – I often love in the manner I like to be loved.  Though as an introvert it’s a challenge to find balance between my need for alone time and the need to be there for others. 

This past weekend I was at a family wedding mostly because my parents wanted to go, so I took them.  Lots of family that I don’t get to see often were there and there was a banda because it’s not a Michoacán party without a live banda; yet, I really wanted to be home with my pets and my tree.  Yesterday, afternoon tired with a migraine from fulfilling all my commitments I retreated to my backyard and there underneath the natural shade I plugged myself for an energy uplift.  My home is my piece of heaven, my favorite place to be underneath my blessed tree…. What’s yours?