To sit in a tree and drink some tea

There are sometimes in life where the moments just seem to be filled with poetry. With each step and word formed through the making of the moments. The things we take in through our colored eyes or anxious open ears. The moments just seem to almost pop with brilliance and vigor. The moments that mean the most to me are those like the notes of Jazz improvisation that are on edge to the ear and for a split second you might think they don’t really fit, but they do, for sure they do.

Last friday, which would have been Dec 16th, 2011, was one of those days that presented one of those moments. It was the last day of finals before christmas break and when I woke up that morning I knew that this would be the last day that I would see my best friend (who also happens to be my girlfriend) for three weeks, so needless to say I wasn’t all that excited for the day. I took my last final at 10 am and it really wasn’t that hard of a final considering I studied a grand total of 3 hours for it. There was only one question that I really just made up an answer for. I’ve discovered that I have a hard time worrying about things especially little things like tests. If I know the information I will do well and if I don’t well at least I know I won’t fail. I’ve never really failed a test so I’ve never really needed to worry.

Why worry? Christmas break is a whole three weeks long but I haven’t really worried about the drive home or back to school or what I’m going to do over break. But I knew waking up that friday morning that it was going to be hard being away from my best friend so I had planned to spend the time after my test and up until she was to leave that afternoon with her. I wanted to allow the poetry of the moments carry us into break… but I got a surprise… A GOOD surprise.

My friend had read my bucket list about how I wanted to sit in a tree with my best friend and drink tea, like a tea party in the tree. So as a surprise she brought out a travel mug of chai tea for our adventure. We walked down the old dirt road on the edge of town. The road leads by a field on one side and a patch of trees on the other. There was little to no whispering breeze, which was odd for a kansas winter day. The naked trees seemed content and stiff, though inviting like blank faced totem poles waiting to tell a story. To the end of the rows of tress we walked talking the whole time of life and the plans for break. There at the end of the row is a tree that we have sat in before when the weather had been much warmer. On the left side of the tree a large branch reaches out enough that both of us can sit rather comfortable… there in that moment in that place the poetry of life painted itself in vivid colors and without a worry in the world. Moments like that are remembered for a long time. The elements of that moment may have been created or brought or brewed in a coffee cup but the moment itself is made real by those who are in it.

There is no better way that I would have liked to spend the first afternoon of christmas break than to sit in a tree and drink tea with my best friend. Perhaps moments like these full of poetry are waiting for you to find them, make them, create them, brew them, but don’t forget to be in them. Moments are best remembered for being present in them. For #19 to be checked off my bucket list I had to be present in that moment and take it all in.

Wake up! The day maybe full of moments that you weren’t expecting! Be in them!

-Caleb Ross Hunter