Tranquility

I have a house in the suburbs that I like very much.  We’ve lived here for 34 years and the house very much reflects the tastes of my wife and me.  We brought up three children here and housed one of them with two grandchildren for a while.  We have also watched the neighbourhood grow and blossom.  This house is at its best in summertime.

One of the great things about the location of the house is that it is surrounded by green.  The back yard has a fifteen-foot hedge on two sides and over them we can see a number of trees that have grown tall over those years.  A patio and a sturdy gazebo allows us to enjoy this yard in almost all types of weather.  This yard used to be the playground of our dog when we had one.

But the best part is sitting out front.  We built a small patio there and have a bistro table and two chairs.  It’s a great place for sitting out on a warm summer evening when that side of the house is in shade. There the greenery gets really special.  There are still a few of the original trees on front yards that were planted when the houses were new, but many did not survive the ice storm or diseases.  The spectacular part is behind the houses on the other side of the street where there is a gully and green belt full of very tall spectacular trees, mostly deciduous. 

The pleasure here is to listen to the trees sing when there is any wind.  When the wind is a zephyr the trees rustle gently and you tend to whisper when you talk.  As the wind increases, the sound becomes a song and you speak a bit louder.  When the wind becomes strong, the trees roar, and you stop and listen.  One can close their eyes and know exactly what the wind is doing.  This is when the world becomes so tranquil. 

“A man's silence is wonderful to listen to.”
  - Thomas Hardy

Tranquility is not a common occurrence these days, with most people moving too fast or preferring loud noises to quiet.  We’re blasted by sound almost everywhere one goes; music, vehicles, televisions and voices.  It’s disquieting.  Maybe it’s us old folks who relish tranquility the most.  But regardless of age, more people should try and experience tranquility. It’s therapeutic and refreshing.  It quiets the soul.  It allows you to think about things other than your immediate problems.  It allows you to dream.  So, here’s to tranquility and the trees in my street that encourage it.

“Those who speak most of progress measure it by quantity and not by quality.”
  - George Santayana

“Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do.”
  - Christopher Morley