A Lady Bird Day
“If we are here, Saturday morning is a time to think and plan. Saturday is my day — a blank day on the calendar — a creative day. There must be some days like this to feed the rest of the week, to build on.”
A White House Diary, by Lady Bird Johnson
One of my heroes has always been the former first lady, Lady Bird Johnson. After her passing, Town Lake in Austin was renamed Lady Bird Lake. There is no busier spot on a Sunday morning than the Hike & Bike Trail around her lake. Austinites and their dogs of all creeds gather to run or walk on the Lord’s Day. When I’m in town, I join them.
Sunday is actually not my Sabbath. It’s more of a “Lady Bird Day,” a day to “think and plan.” Sure, I go to church. But then, as much as possible, I chill. It’s often a day when we visit family.
If we’re not with relatives, I often spend Sunday afternoons doing laundry and writing poems. The two go together perfectly. As a writer, I need margins of white space where creativity can bud. The mild work of laundry churns out unexpected words. Sunday afternoons for me are what Saturday mornings were for Lady Bird — days that provide something to build on.
Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I plan to take a turn around Lady Bird Lake before I join the family for feasting. This Thursday will be a Lady Bird Day, a day to feed the rest of the year.
