Break

A “break” in the weather and rain has brought relief. The lawns suck moisture and stop being straw. Plants that held their breath relax to the root and an old dog goes berry hunting. How quickly we forget the heat and the stultifying air.

“To break” means separate, interrupt, or destroy. All three speak to our climate threat. Don’t become too comfortable even as you seek out joy. My pleasures are simple today: watch the birds crowd the feeder, tend the old dog, sweep the floor. Tomorrow, I will visit the home of my nephew to meet his newborn child and dare to hope. But for now, I dwell in these small simple pleasures.