Heading East

On our recent vacation, I found myself parked in a Texas motel with my wife and three children. Bodies, luggage, clothing, swimsuits, hairbrushes and a variety of other personal items were strewn about the room, giving it that homey, war zone feel. We had just returned from a stint in the pool, and, over my objections, Jana and the kids unanimously decided to watch SpongeBob SquarePants on the television.

As SpongeBob babbled endlessly about Mr. Krabs, Patrick, and Krabby Paddies, I felt my sanity flagging. I have never been a fan of SpongeBob, and that particular episode reminded me why. So, as the rest of the family fell into a cartoon coma, I reached for Jana's book on Navajo ceremonial baskets to ground myself.

Although Jana had asked me to help edit certain sections of the book while she was writing it, I had yet to read the finished product. Navajo baskets and the culture associated with them have been a significant part of my life since we opened the trading post. So, as we prepared for our trip, I put a copy of the book into my bag and made a personal commitment to read it during our travels.

As I read through chapters on the origin of Navajo ceremonies and ceremonial baskets, I began to realize just how many of the local traditions have crept into my life. Because of the Spiderwoman stories, for example, I am more cautious when handling spiders; because of Stormy Reddoor, when it rains I often go outside and stand in the downpour; and because my kids often introduce significant doses of chaos into my life, I fully appreciate the coyote stories.

At one point, Jana's book mentions that a traditional Navajo people will rise early and run toward the morning light, gathering the strength, blessings and health the sunrise provides. For years, I have done exactly that, and have found my life blessed in many ways. Not that I have ever had any such expectations as I rolled out of bed and tied on my running shoes. In fact, my morning runs have sent me east mostly because I am a creature of habit. Once I establish a pattern, right or wrong, it is almost impossible to get me to change.

The road between St. Christopher's Episcopal Mission and the trading post is relatively flat and mostly traffic free early in the morning. As a result, I have worn a rut into the pavement of Highway 162 over the years, and God help anyone who tries to alter my path. Cars, trucks, busses, cows, sheep, horses and a variety of other natural and mechanical creations have tried and failed.

The primary benefit of running east that early in the morning, or so I thought until reading the passage in Jana's book, was that I get to see the sun break over the horizon as the day begins; I see the shadows recede and the sun spread its golden glow across the land; and therefore witness the start of each new day. During these runs, I am often reminded of a conversation a friend of mine had with a Bluff resident. When the friend asked the resident if he attended the local parish, the resident responded, "He_ _ no, I only worship nature." The natural beauty I see on those mornings has certainly caused me to shout out in praise more than once.

Recently, Jana, Kira, Grange and I rose early and headed north for a day of activities and celebration. Every Fourth of July, Blanding sponsors a 5K run which I greatly enjoy. This year Jana was determined to have the kids participate in the one mile fun run associated with the race. Since Kira and Grange have shown little interest in what their daddy does before he wakes them in the morning, I wondered how things might turn out. Jana, being Jana, had faith that everything would be fine. As for me, I worried the kids would not get up on time, causing us to miss the race altogether.

As is our family habit, we arrived just as the other kids were queuing up to start; late, but not late enough to cause a crisis. We hastily registered Kira and Grange, and off they sped in a cloud of dust and a herd of kids. As I stood at the finish line, thinking of that passage from Jana's book and watching our kids completing the race with their determined looks and flushed, smiling faces, I became convinced that the Navajo beliefs about rising early and running towards the sunrise were based in sound logic. The blessings were certainly captured that morning.

Sincerely,
Steve