A Tree

  I sit on my patio after a long day of work and driving. The warm evening air cuddles me like a shawl while the subtlest of breezes bounds at me, enticing a cooling affect, but failing. The vegetation remains green and healthy despite the lack of rain in recent weeks. It proudly stands to the evening sky; the rhododendrons, tall wild grasses, the ivy growing at a hare's pace, all embracing the boundary of the lawn and adding a variety of greens in worship of the sun. The water is a clear reflection of the sky with  shore side trees and the bright blue sky mirroring it. The sunset is still hours away. A distant lawnmower is the only sound heard and this is a perfect time for reflection, not just for the water.
 I think back on this last year and am still grateful for the job offering I had and clutched. I think of the many things I learned, the excitement of new supervisor responsibilities and the connections and respect I earned from my co workers and staff. Yet, I am thrilled with my new, secret prospect of a  job in a new industry. This makes some days hard to maintain a positive attitude, yet, I do. My daughter said it best, "It's hard to stay vested when you know something new is coming." I wonder if the landscape finds it difficult to stay beautiful, knowing that nighttime is coming and it will soon be wrapped in darkness, no one able to see its glory. Yet, it remains solid and glorious until the last moment of daylight seeps behind the horizon. It doesn't shrivel under the thought of darkness. It just...continues...and reveals itself the next day.
 My future director called me yesterday when I happened to be at lunch. He wanted to check in and let me know that things were progressing. He hopes before week's end he can call me again and we can set a start date at the clinic. He said he knows I need time off in October for my daughter's wedding and that won't be a problem. He did say that Paid Time Off (PTO) isn't usually granted before the 90 day probation period is up, but he may be able to get me some of it. I thought to myself, "I'm going whether paid or not. So be it." I was thrilled he called to let me know my on boarding process is progressing.