Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Landed

When we have gorged ourselves on sandy shores and blue horizons, when we have packed away all but one bathing suit (just in case), when hot cups replace the iced...we head inland.

Sometimes it is a paved path surrounded by perfectly pruned beauties. Sometimes we zoom by nature on scooters and bikes. Sometimes it is well marked trails with neat bridges to discover or a perilous (for 5 yr olds!) summit to conquer. Sometimes it is just a patch of wild between home and the neighbors.

No matter which flavor of nature we chose, we dig in. We breathe deep, lengthen our strides and oscillate between adventuring off on our own and slowing up to hold a hand. If the beach is our church, the woods are our chapel. A place to come together a little closer, to connect to something bigger, and to appreciate.

Today we met friends and buzzed around the nature center enjoying conversation, fresh perspectives and flexing our social muscles. But when our friends pulled out of the parking lot, we hung by our car reluctantly. We weren't done. We headed back to the trail map and picked a doozy. A perfect loop carpeted with pine needles and just wide enough to push a sleeping baby in the stroller. There was a steady stream of chatter:: school, moss, friends, food. They scurried ahead, they hung back to hold my hand.

Sometimes my mind can zoom off to a million places, but today I took a breath, looked at where I was and at their faces...and I landed.

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