This year’s sun-drenched and verdant spring has burst forth, and the energy is contagious!

Whenever this warmth starts intruding on the dismal days of chilliness I find myself frequently at Neahwa Park. I know it sounds like a simple pastime, especially when my generation thrives on excitement, thrills and new experiences. It’s understandable; we don’t want life to pass us by, and it does race on so fast. For me, just going to the park allows me to pause for a minute and take a breath.

Being a midpoint between my home and the homes of a couple of my good friends here in town, Neahwa Park is easily accessible to me. As our lives are saturated with school, work and practices of varying kinds, it’s such a hiatus to get away and just have fun.

It reminds me of when I was younger and nothing ever seemed to weigh too heavily on my mind.

Do you remember the endless days where play reigned over the greater part of our days and adventure loomed around every bend?

I grew up in Milford, and the park a few steps down the street was where I spent a lot of my seemingly endless time _ climbing trees, swinging, sliding, discovering bugs, picnicking with my family or watching local baseball. My parents would play tennis and my sisters and I would consider it our greatest privilege to be their ball girls, although now, I’m not sure why. The sun always seems to shine in my memory of time spent at the park. Maybe I just like going back and reliving that time and playing like a child again.

There’s an infinite number of things to do at a park if you’re observant and creative. There’s the usual swinging, skating, swimming, biking and playing sports such as volleyball, soccer, football, baseball, tennis and softball.

A favorite place for my friends and me to go is the roof of the Little League baseball dugout. From atop this vantage point, the world feels smaller and more conquerable, for those of us spry enough to climb up.

I love to look at our shadows on the Little League field as the sun shouts out its last beams of the day.

It’s ironic because I’m not skilled at any sports, yet there are several I say I love. I guess there are so many talents in life I wish I possessed. Instead of going after one, I just lazily pursue several. One such talent is playing volleyball. When the net goes up at Neahwa, it makes me happy inside. I love the sand in my toes as I try desperately to improve my minute skills. I don’t mind that I’m not at all good at any sports because I’m still able to have a blast playing them, as long as others don’t become infuriated at my lack of ability.

The parks here in Oneonta offer beauty as well. The other day I was at Neahwa with my sister, and we went to the pond to enjoy the warm quiet of the night. The lights surrounding the pond transported wavering images on the glassy surface and the fountain in the middle rained peacefully down, pushing ripples through the liquid beauty. It was windy that night and the spray from the fountain found its way to us occasionally, reminding me of the ocean and its salty breath.

God has made this world with so much to offer. When I think of all the pain and hurt it makes my heart break, but I thank God for all the beauty and majesty he’s created for us to show that he still cares and has poured himself out to heal our pain.

Going to the park and playing a sport or sitting on the roof of a dugout allows me to embrace this thing called life and enables me to reach out and touch the hand of God.

Whether it’s simplicity or excitement you want, parks dish it all out!

Jessica Bailey is a junior at Lighthouse Christian Academy in Oneonta.