Sometimes on my morning strolls with Copper I look around at the familiar houses and yards, and catch my breath at the loveliness. It’s the slight roll of the land, the trees turning yellow and gold, the shaggy white miniature daisies that border the common land garden. 

This is not to say I live in some magical place, some beauty spot. It’s a subdivision in a suburb of Washington, D.C., (are there enough “subs” there?), one of hundreds. We love it for the sense of community we found from the beginning, and love it more now because it’s where the girls grew up. 

But what I was responding to this morning (and do so often these days) is the natural world that is more present now than it used to be. We have lost much during this pandemic — but one thing I’ve gained is a greater appreciation of this small patch of land where I find myself. 

It’s where I am most of the time now. And it’s not a bad place to be.