Play

 We had pouring rain. A small tornado pulled down some trees and stirred up a bit of chaos around town. We sat through our morning lessons as the rains gushed and the trees bent low. Hot tea and cookies kept us focused and settled.

Down the street a friend wasn’t so settled.  Another family that schools at home sat in their living room as the storm brewed heavy. It grabbed two trees and smashed them down into their house. No one was hurt but it turned normal into a mess.

 We collected two kiddos so that parents could begin the daunting process of a house rescue. For the next 48 hours, five children practiced the art of play.  It was Earth Day celebrating at its finest. In and out of the pool. Up and down out of the loft. In and out of the garden. Check on chickens. Weed. Collect eggs. Bring cucumbers to Mama. Make concoctions with beet juice and chop up this and cut down that. Make a teepee with bamboo. String up tomatoes. Jump back in the pool. Run through the grass. Create with Legos. Create with paper and pen. Take a tractor ride. Pause to read in the heat of the day. Curl up with a book. Or cuddle on a bed pulled out in the middle of the room (we are a bed and breakfast for those under the age of 10). Pause. Camp out in the loft and go again.

Their house isn’t fixed. The furniture is still drying. The littlest one still wants to eat his breakfast in the driveway because it feels a bit scary inside where the tree fell. We just offered a spec of relief and we were piled high with sweetness.