Last Sunday, after an inspirational message at church on prayer, (even Kids Church was spot on in teaching the kids and all of us actually, how to pray) . . it was very fitting, because we surely did pray when we went to lunch with Shana and the Boova, because . . .
Outside of the Restaurant window where we sat was the scene of a 3-car accident at a very busy intersection. There was an SUV on its side, 10 emergency vehicles including fire trucks and ambulances, plus numerous police cars on this very busy 6 lane highway. The scene unfolding in front of us was quite impressive.
We heard a helicopter overhead and sure enough, it landed right there in a parking lot and we could see a stretcher hurriedly loaded on to it. Our youngest grandson then announced that he sees a fireman holding a child. It breaks your heart to even imagine how scary that is for a kid. Was it that child's mom or dad on the Life Flight?
Needless to say, lunch was bland and trying to enjoy being there was kind of flat. Other diners had concerned expressions as they looked on. All we could think about, , the injured people out there who may also have been going to lunch after church. We left for home, this grandma reminding everyone to drive safely.
All afternoon I was in a kind of funk, just couldn’t get the accident out of my mind. Finally, toward evening I suggested we go to the beautiful Greer City Park for a walk. We did and it was refreshing.
This is the Park we pop Kettle Corn every Tuesday evening at a Farmer’s Market.
On that night it is full of shoppers and families coming out for dinner at whatever Food Truck is at the Market that night.
This Sunday night however, it is a more relaxed atmosphere,, well for Tim and me anyhow. We strolled on the, now very empty of canopys sidewalk, alongside the spacious green lawn where a group of teenagers were playing soccer, a couple with a stroller walked ahead of us.
Across the street was a pickup truck with a cute little trailer behind it selling boiled peanuts, slushies, taco’s and other Sunday evening snacks.
We sat at our favorite spot, the bench swings facing the beautiful fountain as it would spray higher and higher and crash back down into the base.
It was fun sitting there, taking bad selfies and people watching.
There was this adorable family that came walking across the large lawn, the 4 kids all under 7ish years old, each carrying a jumbo-sized drink from the QT gas station, the mom had a pizza box in her hands.
They settled on a bench and pieces of pizza were handed out. One kid’s pizza was hanging out of his mouth while he kicked a soccer ball around in front of his mom and dad. I couldn’t stop watching them! They were so cute! (obviously I 'stole' a picture . . .)
Tim and I walked down to another section of the park where there is a pond with a walking path around it and bench swings. ‘I want to sit on one of those’ I said. On the way there we walked past a large pavilion where there was a huge group of people, family or some kind of gathering having a very wonderful noisy time, huge fans sat among them to help with the heat of the day, kids were playing on the playground equipment.
Just before we got to a swing, and elderly gentleman had seen me taking a picture of the pond and gazebo, and as we approached him he pointed to the Crane that sat very stately on a concrete square in middle of the pond. I was drawn to this man, especially loving his southern drawl as he told us about ‘the same Crane for years would come and sit here’ showing us a picture he took of it. ‘Then it didn’t come around anymore.’ I looked at the lone Crane sitting out there now, we could plainly see it was a different one from his picture, this one was shorter and squattier looking.
Of course, me being the total romantic, and wanting to hear the elderly gentleman talk more I asked, ‘Well, doesn’t the Crane have a partner? Is he just alone?’ The man smiled and said, ‘I don’t know the answer to that’ kind of chuckling, me secretly loving his accent.
We sat on the swing for a spell, taking in the lovely setting.
A young couple came by with a very tall, very groomed white poodle. They were talking and laughing, obviously having a good time together and said a cheery ‘hello, how are you’ to us as they walked by. Across the pond sat another couple on the grass, having a picnic. Other people sat on the bench swings around the park. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the evening, each other and the beauty of this place.
We walked back to where we came from, again passing the group at the pavilion, now packing up their party and leaving. We came up past the gushing fountain where ‘new’ people were now sitting in ‘our’ swings, among them, the little family with the QT drinks and pizza. I wish I could have taken a picture of them now! The mom and dad were sitting on the swing, the 3 boys and one little girl were leaning against the swing facing us, still drinking what ever was in those large cups, oblivious to their mom and dad behind them, snuggling and kissing. It was such a lovely picture of a sweet family. We walked on towards our truck, saw that the food truck across the street was packing up and leaving too, the sky looked like rain was on the way . . .
We went home, along with all the other peoples we had seen at the park after enjoying the beautifulness of it.
My ‘funk-ness’ had somewhat gone away, but, my thoughts were still on the accident victims we saw at lunch. I googled ‘accident at the intersection of Wade Hampton and Arlington.’ The report was there. One vehicle ran a red-light and was T-boned by another SUV which then hit another car. There were 3 people in each vehicle and all were taken to the hospital, one critical, and taken on Life Flight. Who knows what caused someone to run a red light at such a busy intersection? All of them were possibly just enjoying the day and suddenly it changed for them.
Our day had started out, inspiring us to pray more and the power of prayer. It was definitely used last Sunday, for those victims and knowing that our all-knowing God heard our prayers. We can bring Him anything, no matter how large or small it is, He cares about it and wants us to come to Him. I’m so thankful for that.
It also taught me something else.
I am news freak. There, I admitted it. I have to know what is going on!
But, as we all know, the ‘ugly’ can get to you at times, put you into an endless funk if you will. From crime to politics to arguing about the vaccine, even Facebook can get nasty at times.
As I thought back over the day, and in spite of all the ‘ugly’ we hear about and see so often, I got to see the beauty of our world.
A beautiful park to go to, along with other people who came to enjoy it and each other.
The adorable little family we saw, just being together, enjoying 'carry out' at the park.
The beauty of the elderly man stopping to talk to us about a Crane of all things. I may not even have noticed it if he hadn’t taken the time to share what he did. (I even went home and googled all about Cranes in S.C. and migration. Interesting! Thank you elderly man with the beautiful southern drawl which I am understanding better and better!)
We also saw the beauty of the wonderful people that jumped in to help the victims in that horrific accident we saw. There is good and beauty all around us!
Today, yes, I’m listening to the News again, BUT, I know that there is more ‘good’ out there than ‘ugly.’ The ugly just seems to scream louder and is heard more.
Let’s be part of the ‘good.'
Let's look for it.
Let's help to spread it around and talk about THAT more. It IS all around us!
I am a wife, a mom, and grandma to my 3 Boova. I am a daughter, sister, aunt, niece and friend.
Most importantly, I am a child of the King, my Savior, who I love and thank everyday, for life, the endless blessings showered on us, and the awesome world we live in.
I love to travel, read, bike and hike. I love to write about the people I meet, the places I’ve traveled to, , and about this beautiful world which is an endless discovery!
Psalm 34
