What Everyone Needs After a Long Period of Stress.

I have had a stressful past three weeks or so.  My husband was home on leave, and then had to return to Iraq. That is always hard for me, and we had a rent house that was vacated with the tenants leaving owing us $3,600. They had tore the house to pieces, not even being there a year, and the cockroaches were very literally unbelievable. There were thousands out on the walls in the day time. You could not bring food into the house without them swarming toward you. There was so much cleanup work to do.  It was discouraging.  Randy and I had been working on the remodel work all the time he was home on leave, but I have to finish it up. We spent a great deal of money to have a large contracting service install a tub, and do some other plumbing work and electrical. The work was done substandard, and I am still arguing with them. 

Then there were the bombings, accompanied by the sorrow and shock that so many other places in the world deal with on a daily basis. I thought of my friends in Iraq... where daily they lose friends, and must be constantly be vigilant. 

 I attended the SWAN (Service Women's Action Network,) summit on military sexual trauma, and as I heard their stories my heart reeled at the realization of failed leadership after such life altering trauma encountered by these men and women. 

 I needed tranquility today... so late in the evening as I worked in the garden, I let Rocket out of the pen. She is so gentle and loving, her behavior is always an expression of joy. She runs, she jumps, she frolics, and it is all a show of joy put on just for me. She rubs her little head on my leg as I move about the garden... sometimes she forgets and accidentally "tastes" a little bit of the garden... of course just to see if anything ready for harvest yet... She is never less than a foot away from me. She sits down when I sit down, and always wants to put her head in my lap. She always watches my face for clues as to what is up next.   She is really smart, which surprised me. She is happiest when she is following me, dancing with joy as she goes. We all should find some simple and gentle thing which restores our hearts and souls when stress comes in batches to our lives, I find those restoring things at Soldier's Heart Ranch in so many things, especially in this sweet little animal.  This beautiful little place with its pond and deep woods helps to center me, relieves all my stress, and enables me to carry on  as I am reminded, through the things of nature, of God's grace, love, and mercy. I love living at Soldier's Heart Ranch.