Ribbons In The Sky

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon. An afternoon that just begged for two people to take a much overdue ride.  I must admit that I had always loved taking long rides in the country. Especially on a day when the sky was blue, and the grass that never really froze was still a somewhat shade of green. Sometimes we take a different route, and sometimes we take the same path leading us to some of our favorite places.

Today we chose our all-time favorite that seems to go on and on. Our journey took us on several curvy roads with open fields, dotted with chestnut brown horses roaming, nibbling on patches of winter grass, each wearing a blanket guaranteeing warmth.  It’s funny, the anticipation of the sloping pasture with the white fence always tickles my heart and has me peering through the glass window far before the actual approach.

My husband always slows down so I can take in all my eyes can see.  Everything seemed to be in place. A horse here and a horse there, swishing, munching, some walking, and one looking right at me. At least it seemed that way.

Then something unusual caught my eye. I actually had to take a second look. Up in the soft blue sky was a long pale white rectangular cloud with one end folded as if it was mitered.  It reminded me of a ribbon. Off to the side was another smaller similar one with straight sides with a curvy bottom.  As we continued our ride, I noticed more of them, all basically the same shapes but with different tops and bottoms.  They reminded me of floating ribbons in the sky.

After we got back home, I could not get those clouds out of my head and heart.  All I could think of was different kinds of pretty ribbons and how we use them.

This is where my story starts.

Ribbons come in many colors and materials. Some are made of silk, nylon, cotton, and jute, among other natural materials. Some are made of plastic, and some are made of metal.  I have seen children make paper ribbons to adorn their homemade gifts.

When I was a little girl, I use to love Christmas morning; still do.  I remember rushing down the stairs in our old farmhouse, turning and staring in awe at the small tree with a few presents hiding underneath. Each gift had a little red, blue, or gold ribbon with a bow attached neatly on top.  I remember my mom reminding us to be careful when removing the bow, for it surely would mysteriously reappear the following year on a different gift.

Ribbons, whether store-bought or lovingly cut from fabrics, have adorned babies head with thick or sparse hair, ponytails, pigtails, loving tied by mothers and fathers. Each colorful ribbon tied into a bow color-coordinated to match their little girl’s outfits.

Tiny ribbons of every color representing the many disabilities, illnesses,  and causes, often cut by volunteers and worn by those who desperately want to find a cure, have always touched my heart.

Some ribbons hold the medals our scouts and military men and women have earned for their many feats. Their hard work and dedication helped to form the person they are.

And we cannot forget the beautiful soft ribbons that are lovingly tied around a collection of greeting cards for letters written to our loved ones. Those ribbons hold memories, love, laughter, comfort, and maybe even a few tears for those who untie each bundle.

It always amazes me how something as small as a piece of ribbon or as big as clouds in the sky can take us down memory lane.  Beautiful ribbons of many colors connect our hearts to those we love. And for that, I am very grateful.