Homecoming: "Driving a Dream", part 1/8

It seemed like the drive went on forever, through endlessly long stretches of desert, dry rolling mountain ranges tinted only by rambling sage brush.

Was it only hours or days or months that Cheryl had been driving this lonely road, she wondered? It just seemed endless. Dull, lifeless, barren land, acres upon acres lumbered behind in the rear view mirror.

Occasional ranches with cattle or sheep spread across the landscape, as she got further north, reminding her there was indeed life on this barren planet. But, not much else. She opened the window a crack, turned up the music a bit, took a deep breath and slipped back into her quiet reflections as the car seemed to move on autopilot.

Within a moment, she pulled into her driveway. The big orange cat eagerly jumped off the front porch, then stretched and strolled in his sultry gait out to greet her. The brilliant flowers she had planted before she left were blooming, vibrant, yellow, bright pink, blue, purple, all a radiant display of God's gorgeous magnificent palet. Even Monet couldn't paint anything this beautiful.

The 19th century colonial, with its oversized white, wrap-around porch, was just as stunning as ever. Overflowing flower pots and sculptured potted fruit trees, bird feeders and wind chimes, singing gaily in the early evening summer breezes, added vibrantly to the awesome scene, warmly welcomed her home after being away, it seemed too long, far too long.

Her two daughters, 10 and 6, were playing scrabble on the porch with a pitcher of limeade and a bag of chocolate chip cookies on a tray, with their cell phones cast beside them, like weapons awaiting a call to respond. They didn't hear the car because the music in their headsets kept them in rapt attention. Cheryl got out, and walked slowly up to them, petting the cat on the way who danced around her legs, hungrily. He didn't look neglected, his complaint was only his usual call for attention.

She hesitated for a moment, glancing up the steps taking in the beautiful scene before her.

"My darlings, kitty, my porch, my flowers, my life," she whispered under her breath.

Then, the screen door opened and her long homecoming came to an end, a most beautiful end. Greeting her with a big smile, unshaven, his dark hair peppered with white, Erik stood there beaming at her. The love in his face was more beautiful than she could have ever dreamt of, and more welcoming than all the flowers on the whole porch.

"We planted the flowers together that silly day, in the rain with a storm on the horizon," she thought, looking over the entire scene of this one moment in time, taking in the preciousness of it all.

"This is our home, this life, this gorgeous wonderful life, we made together, this handsome, wise man and I. These, our children and (my 14-year-old cat!)," she thought, walking toward the open door to embrace her grimy, grease streaked husband.

He had been working on his grandfather's old t-bird that had been left rusting away contentedly in the old barn behind the house.

"That great old barn," she thought.

It was the last bit of civilization before the five acres of organic gardens stretched on into a large forest that was protected by the government.

Eric had been working too hard, long laboring hours at New Designs, his architectural firm, on a dream, a brainstorm he'd had, which the firm had fully supported. But, with Cheryl away, he was on duty as a full time dad, something he was more than grateful for.

"This is our heaven," they thought, smiling at each other. She stood still to take in the moment as he paused at the door doing the same.

His brother, looking equally as mired from their mechanic's work, came to the door behind him. A younger version, who would one day run for public office and make some very important and significant changes in the community, pushed open the door from behind for his older brother to step out.

In less than a minute, the children, her husband and brother-in-law, were all huddled in a great hug. Tears streamed down her face, softening her parched skin and dry heart from the months away. The long difficult drive, the cold, unkind people she'd had to compromise with as she negotiated a large purchase of medicine for the immigrant children in town, was forgotten in that one minute of homecoming.

Was this a dream? Was this real?

"Yes!" she thought, smiling into the distance, as the land began to glimmer greener in the luminescent setting sun. Her heart danced at the remarkable beauty her home, family and life has become.

"Thank you God for this most awesome, gracious gift of life. You have blessed us so much," she whispered into the amber light. 

Homecoming continues with Morning Light tomorrow.