Sunday came and went and no selfie from me. But, I have the same excuse we all have. So here is my Someday Selfie.
I have been staying up way too late. After midnight, one night last week, I heard a train whistle off in the distance.
It was a soft whistle a mile or so away. It was so soft that the only time I would ever hear those late night wails is on a night when I could not sleep.
We lived about 1/10th of a mile away from the train tracks as I was growing up. The trains ran more frequently back then but they rarely woke me up. Kids can sleep through anuthing once they get used to it.
When the train whistle did wake me up, the cars creaked and crashed as they made their away around the gentle bend at the end of the park.
The train's horn sent me messages back then - and now. Sometimes the messages were forlorn, the way train whistles are often imagined. Other times, as I lay safe in my bed, the train sang out, "Love to you! Love to you!
Love to my mother who still lives in that house on the side of the hill.
Love to my brothers and sisters who heard their own messages when the whistle blew.
Love to my husband as he sleeps soundly through the train's soft wail.
Love to my son, my daughter-in-law and my granddaughter who live close to another segment of that same track.
Love to all those who are gone, or far away, or out of touch. Love to everyone sheltering in place, close but out of reach.
The train I heard the other night sang another song. It wailed "Soon!" "Soon!"
Soon, the engineer and the brakeman will get home to their famiies.
Soon, the train and all of its cars will rest in the train yard.
Soon, the packages, or cows, railings, or gravel, or people - soon, they will get to wherever they are headed.
Soon, a train load of good health will roll our way. We need to be patient. We need to be ready. Soon, friends and loved ones, we will hug each other again. Stay safe. Stay at home. Stay well.
Listen to the train...."Love to youuuuuuuu!"
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