Take Me Home, Country Roads

Anyone who knows the Player family well knows that we believe John Denver to be a long lost cousin, perhaps separated at birth, and that the "West Virginia" he sings about in Country Roads is actually a veiled reference to Deer Park, Washington. Or, at least we like his songs a lot.

I first discovered the therapeutic effects of our own country road the summer after my freshman year at BYU. I had been so frightfully homesick and stressed for the entire year, and then I came home and went for a walk. It was magical. An entire year's worth of stress and sadness melted away in the course of one short mile down Wallbridge Road.

Time stands stills there. Today I went for a walk and rediscovered the magic. Some changes greeted me: they've been logging in a few places (oh, woe is me) so some spots are a bit sparser. A few new houses have popped up. And this time I had an irresistibly kissable baby head be-bopping along in the Bjorn in front of me. But the feeling was the same; the feeling of complete and utter contentment with the world around me. I feel so small and insignificant when I walk it, but in a good way. For a few brief moments I get lost in my thoughts while the silence and the fresh air heal the dings and dents of my soul.

I wish all the wonderful mothers I know could share in healing of Wallbridge Road.

In the immortal words of the Statue of Liberty:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free

Come to Wallbridge Road! And if gas is too expensive, then find a quiet place and listen to some John Denver. We all know he's really singing about Deer Park, anyway.