Lavender marks the front door of my home away from home,
a fragrant welcome,
buzzing with bees and a murmuration of starlings above
as the sunlight begins to recede.

A home filled with laughter, play, and baked goods,
of late night kitchen floor conversations,
of new guests and old friends,
of holding hands to say grace before dinner,
and squirmy little boys itching to escape.

Lavender–
Delicate and sturdy,
bringing peace and calm,
healing,
stillness.
Calling me from the words on the page to be still.
To know He is God
To sit and listen
To have faith in His power to silence the raging waves
–those, too, have passed.