The Lake that Drowned My Sorrows and Then Dried Up

Come with me, and I'll show you one of the most beautiful places on earth.

This is Boone Lake, near Bristol, Tennessee.

I called this lake my home for a couple of years.

As the sun set, you could hear the frogs and bugs start to sing.

The lake is more than a hundred feet deep in some spots, and covers about 4,400 acres.

Every day, it looked a little different.

I could sit for hours, watching the birds and boats go by, and the fish jumping.

I was going through a really hard time while I lived there, knowing the end of my marriage was coming - and wondering how we'd all survive it.

But the lake seemed to call me, soothe my heart, and remind me to look for loveliness around me.

There was something about the gentle current and the depth of the waters that reassured me.

The surface of the water reminded me of resilience - always smooth again after a pelting, churning storm.

During the storm I went through, the lake was like air in my lungs to me. Once I made my choice, I could breathe on my own again.
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Actually, this is how Boone Lake looked a few years ago. Now it is virtually dry because engineers discovered a sinkhole under the dam, and that lead to the discovery of some dangerous seepage through the earthen foundation. They're working on it, but the lake will be dry for the foreseeable future.

My life, however, is now overflowing with love and peace and joy.

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All images are my own.

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