Such a Place

This evening, after the meal at the church and before classes started, I went to the river bank and sat on a stone watching the river and the people passing by on the walking paths. For those who may not know, our church’s back lot backs up to the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita.
Before I even got there, I caught the whiff of nature in the delicate scent of spirea that had been planted along the river bank. I sat on a rock next to some bushes to take full advantage of that smell. They are a little later this year, and are just now opening. As I continued to sit for a couple of minutes, with the inevitable cup of coffee in hand, I noticed a robin singing in a tree, a couple of walkers greeting me, and the slow progression of water to the south as the river flowed toward the Gulf. The temperature was about 70 degrees, the wind was but a gentle breeze, and the sun was in just the right place to allow a tree to shade my eyes, yet feel its warmth.
It was one of those times that one could have wished could have lasted for a long, long time. I did manage to sit there for about 20 minutes as I drank my joe and soaked up the relative peace and quiet. Families passed by, some with toddlers; others with older kids. Couples walked by, and some folks were on a bicycle or were running on the path.
I wondered about the lives of a few of them…especially the kids. I also thought a bit about the class to come inside in a few minutes, and about the rest of my week. And I marveled that I was privileged to be in such a place at such a time as this.