Uncle Tom's Cabin, for real

What's so special about "Uncle Tom's Cabin"?  Is it real? Where is it?  Inquiring minds want to know! 

Our family is filled with its share of toms.  My Dad, grandfather, and son are all named Tom.  Another tom near and dear to my heart is my Uncle Tom, and as fate would have it, Uncle Tom does indeed have a cabin.

Aunt Sharon and Uncle Tom have A Beautiful home in Dallas, Texas, as well as a condo on south padre island, and a beach home in the coastal town of Manzanita, Oregon.  And while those places are fine and dandy by anyone's standards, they don't hold a candle to a plot of land just outside of Terrell, Texas where my Uncle Tom has built his cabin.

Although never intended to be anything more than a weekend getaway, it's become that and so much more.  It's come to be their sanctuary from the world, and even more so since the pandemic.  Words alone cannot describe the peace of mind that such a place brings, almost magical in its allowing for every protocol while avoiding the side effects that words such as "shut down" and "sheltering in place" bring to mind.  

Uncle Tom awakens early each morning and happily goes about his day.  Aunt Sharon listens as he whistles the tunes that get stuck in his head.  She spends quiet mornings sitting along the porch 

overlooking the lake, taking in the calm, and walks along her special trail to the barn, complete with a little area at the half-way point where she can rest,  contemplate, pray, and reflect.  She refers to it as nature bathing, and there's truly no better way to define it.

Uncle Tom feeds his ducks and drives his gator over the trails that cover the 127 acres that make up the farm.  He spends time in his greenhouse, shooting range, and the barn, complete with a gym and wood shop.  He's got it covered.  

A Portion of land is sectioned off as "Hog Hollow" where wild hogs roam freely.  Unless of course they are shot, after which they become a project for the local fire department. A win-win, as they say.

So, yes Virginia, Uncle Tom does have a cabin, and it's wonderful, providing comfort in knowing that it's neither status or zip code that makes it so, rather something quite intangible.  Probably best not to think about it too hard, as overthinking it might somehow detract from the magic that is Uncle Tom's cabin.