Halcyon Days
In Greek mythology, Halcyon Days were the seven temperate winter days without storms that occurred when a lovely young wife transformed into a bird to reunite with her beloved husband who died. Here in New England, we are in the midst of seven Halcyon days of lovely early fall weather. I am sleeping “deep in the mattress” with cool breezes and deep dark nights to envelope me.
In my reveries, I recounted some Halcyon Days from this summer which is now almost passed: the party I hosted for my daughter’s engagement stands out, as does a long languid afternoon or two spent with my sister and mother. We had two trips to The Ocean House for iced tea on the veranda, and last Friday night I had dinner with my best friends from high school. Also, my first best friend and her mother visited for a day of laughter and memories. These summer days didn’t pass in rows of seven but they are bright spots on summer’s tapestry. There were some sad spots too: another friend from high school who lives far away, lost her beautiful daughter Haley in a boating accident and my beau has been ill and hospitalized.
No one can deny that the world is on the brink and so I dreamed about it a few weeks ago and had a calming vision. Not one to put stock in such things, I did take with me the message “All will be well”. And so in the spirit of that dispatch, I’ve come up with some Halcyon moments I experienced in the past and also some things I just like very much:
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My child running toward a gaggle of ducks and watching her glee as they take off in flight
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The I-just-want-to-cry feeling when I see beautiful textiles, embroideries, or dresses
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The happy feeling of nourishing someone with a delicious meal when I know they’ve had a rough time
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Finding out I love honey and honey baths especially, which make me think of bees swarming a nest in the distance on a warm September afternoon
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A once favorite perfume, rediscovered
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Seeing a loved one’s face suddenly in an unexpected place, like my sister’s when she showed up at my office one day to take me to lunch
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The lone female soprano whose voice sails high above the others during a choral performance
What are your Halcyon moments? Have you got seven?
3 Comments
Kay
One of mine came this summer, as I visited you and we laughed and sang along with oldies, turning the pages if our favorite teen magazine and reminiscing over our teenage years!
Donna
Oh how beautiful Gail!
Gail, northern California
I'll start with three….
…finding what you know is THE perfect gift for someone. Giddy with excitement, you cannot wait to give it to them.
…finding that out-of-print book you've been searching for.
…recognizing a magical moment when you're still living it. You know it, you absorb it, you take in every detail. Mine occurred last summer. A pleasantly warm evening in the backyard with family. Son-in-law on a ladder picking luscious ripe apricots for his parents from the over-loaded tree. Daughter showing grandfather her jungle of a vegetable garden. Daughter-in-law sitting next to her new husband's grandmother, chatting away. The dog happily chasing lizards that are far too fast for him. These images are with me still, I can still hear the murmur of their voices…loving, caring voices.