Tall Grass

Summertime.   When the grass grows long and green.   The sun is strong so you find shade where you can.

Shade in the tall green grass.

A place to hide and make your own world.  A secret world full of creatures and hiding places.

A place where your imagination is your kingdom.  Your stick becomes a staff and you rule the world.

Your little brothers join you.  The littlest struggling to keep up.  So much heart.  He will struggle until he is able to join.

But, he can't leave behind his angry birds.  These little birds go everywhere with the three year old.   On his walk, in his bed, and at the dinner table.  This imaginary world will include angry birds.

Even when he leaves them behind, in the tall grass, to be retrieved later.   It only enables us to come back and find the place they were left.

A river.    They can hear it and run towards the bubbling water.

They splash and get muddy until their mom's voice yells for them to come back up to the road.

And, we continue.

Not very far because we now have to dig in the sand.    Looking for treasure.  Extending our imaginations even more.  Not wanting to return to our reality.

And, a little sister.  Who sits in her stroller watching.  Waiting for the time she can join but, content to sit for now and try a few pieces of grass.

These are the days of summer that I love.  Long, hot, days.  No agenda, only to spend time together and wade in the tall grass.