June 27, 1970
Nate and I had had 2 rough weeks experiencing the stress of no income and summer school/student teaching adjustments for me. When Saturday finally came, we decided to escape from it all – just for a few hours.
The sunny, warm weather invited us out to play, so we packed a picnic and drove the half-hour to Allerton Park. Though we weren’t sure about dogs being allowed, we took Baron along anyway. He had never failed to win the hearts of everyone he met.
Allerton Park has been described as “a vast prairie turned into a personal fantasy land of neoclassical statues, Far Eastern art, and huge European-style gardens surrounding a Georgian Revival mansion.” *
We had explored the estate’s 1500 acres enough to know how not to get lost, and loved the surprises hidden on the grounds. Just when we thought we’d seen every piece of sculpture, each garden, and all the unique oddities on the property, we would come across something new.
Allerton factored into Nate’s and my relationship almost from the start. It was a peaceful place where two people in love could spend time together, whether walking through dense woods or on manicured paths. We had our first serious talk about our relationship on one of those walks, and on another one, explored the possibility of marriage for the first time.
The manor house was gorgeous, and we wondered aloud what it must have been like to live in such a place. The owner, Robert Allerton, had many homes and owned one of the largest Chicago hotels, so when he didn’t need this one anymore, he donated it to the University of Illinois for retreats and study.
(Photo credit: D Finnigan – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18609642)
On this day, feeling depleted, Nate and I were looking for privacy and carried our blanket, picnic supplies, and doggie a long way from the mansion. We were looking for a giant meadow that had a dense forest on the other side of it, because we knew that deep within it was a secluded sunny patch of ground.
After spreading our blanket there, we stretched out on it and snuggled close, with Baron between us. The security of giant trees on all sides with an open sky above was the perfect hideaway from all of life’s woes.
Almost immediately the 3 of us fell sound asleep. When I awoke an hour later, Nate was still lying next to me but was up on one elbow, staring at my me. I smiled back and felt completely enfolded in his love. The problems of our week had evaporated, and no getaway ever meant more.
We shared our simple picnic, took turns reading aloud to each other, and had some intimate conversation about life and love. We also took time to admire our handsome puppy.
The therapeutic benefits from this one day would last a long, long time.
“May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!” (Psalm 29:11)
* Wikipedia