Return to Paradise

On our way home from College Station, my brother Mattie and I stopped in Waco to visit an old friend. Cameron Park. I am convinced that this place is basically a piece of heaven on earth. It stretches for miles along the Brazos River, and it's full of treasures one would never expect just 5 minutes from downtown Waco, of all places. Thousands of trees stretch their ancient limbs up toward the sky. Hyperactive squirrels dart in and out along the roads, and friendly birds guide visitors' journeys from above.

Cameron Park held such an important place in my heart for a few years while I was at Baylor. It was at this park that I came alive. I've studied there, cried there, adventured there. On lazy afternoons, I'd simply lay in the grass and take in all the sights, sounds, and smells of God's great creation. It's been an important part of my relationship with Andrew, and it's a place I seek solace and refuge when I desperately need a reminder that life is full of beauty.

As Mattie and I drove along the winding roads, I realized with fondness that, like a lover, I know every inch and every curve of those roads. I remember how the sunlight flits through the trees in late fall, and I remember how the woods begin bursting with life in early spring. I remember this part of my identity, and it fills me with joy. I'm so thankful for all the people I've gotten to share this place with over the years.