Sometimes we all need to get away. We need to leave everything behind and take a breath, or two, or three. We need to readjust our perspective on those things which are really important. This is not easy in the lives we lead. The lives filled with demands, responsibilities, and expectations. However, right now I am away. I was blessed to be given the gift of time. Time away from all that usually makes it hard for me to think. I am refueling my tank and taking time to process. I am breathing deeply and working on finding clarity.
While here I have visited with old friends. Friends who knew me long before I was a mother. Friends who I have no reason to try to impress. Friends who remember when life was far less complicated and demanding. Friends who listen and share in the same struggles of motherhood. It is a fold that I belong to. A fabric of who I am to have these friendships that have stood the test of time and distance. Picking up right where we left off the last time we able to take a breath.
In this time we have talked, we have cried. We have shared in great wine and played roulette for the first time. We got way too little sleep and saw beautiful sights. And while on one of our treks up the mountain it hit me. How hard it is to REALLY see what is happening around you.
While we were hiking up to one of the most beautiful and peaceful spots I have ever seen I almost couldn't focus on all the beauty around me. It was a tough hike. I was struggling with altitude and sucking wind. Each step, if not taken correctly, could lead to quite an injury on unforgiving rocks. So my eyes were constantly down. My mind was looking for just the right foothold. And sometimes, okay, more than a couple times I had to stop. I had to stop to breathe.
But stopping, was actually a gift. Stopping forced me to look around. It wasn't until I was forced to stop that I actually saw all the beauty that was around me. All the natural wonders that are gifts to us. The tall trees and bright green moss. The flowing water coming from snow capped mountains.
And when I stopped, and when I really adjusted my focus to what was surrounding me, I was able to catch my breath. I was able to take a moment and get the energy to keep climbing. My friend, who has hiked this path many times before me, just waited patiently. She didn't rush me. She didn't tease me for having to breathe. She too just looked around and saw the beauty.
This was the view once we got to our final destination. Eagle Lake. It was so worth the climb.
Looking at life, the climb is often rough. We are focusing on the here and now, the mundane and rote. We are so worried about the next step and not falling flat on our faces either literally or metaphorically. The beauty and relationships that surround us are lost and just casually sitting on the sidelines while we trudge a path that often sucks the wind right out of us. Life is hard. There is often no trail guide that tells us what step to take and which rock to avoid. But sometimes in life, there are friends who have been where you have been. They just wait for you a couple of paces ahead, quietly encouraging you, and giving you the gift of patience, because they know your strength. They know you will get there, and once you do, what a beautiful sight to behold.
While here I have visited with old friends. Friends who knew me long before I was a mother. Friends who I have no reason to try to impress. Friends who remember when life was far less complicated and demanding. Friends who listen and share in the same struggles of motherhood. It is a fold that I belong to. A fabric of who I am to have these friendships that have stood the test of time and distance. Picking up right where we left off the last time we able to take a breath.
In this time we have talked, we have cried. We have shared in great wine and played roulette for the first time. We got way too little sleep and saw beautiful sights. And while on one of our treks up the mountain it hit me. How hard it is to REALLY see what is happening around you.
While we were hiking up to one of the most beautiful and peaceful spots I have ever seen I almost couldn't focus on all the beauty around me. It was a tough hike. I was struggling with altitude and sucking wind. Each step, if not taken correctly, could lead to quite an injury on unforgiving rocks. So my eyes were constantly down. My mind was looking for just the right foothold. And sometimes, okay, more than a couple times I had to stop. I had to stop to breathe.
But stopping, was actually a gift. Stopping forced me to look around. It wasn't until I was forced to stop that I actually saw all the beauty that was around me. All the natural wonders that are gifts to us. The tall trees and bright green moss. The flowing water coming from snow capped mountains.
And when I stopped, and when I really adjusted my focus to what was surrounding me, I was able to catch my breath. I was able to take a moment and get the energy to keep climbing. My friend, who has hiked this path many times before me, just waited patiently. She didn't rush me. She didn't tease me for having to breathe. She too just looked around and saw the beauty.
This was the view once we got to our final destination. Eagle Lake. It was so worth the climb.
Looking at life, the climb is often rough. We are focusing on the here and now, the mundane and rote. We are so worried about the next step and not falling flat on our faces either literally or metaphorically. The beauty and relationships that surround us are lost and just casually sitting on the sidelines while we trudge a path that often sucks the wind right out of us. Life is hard. There is often no trail guide that tells us what step to take and which rock to avoid. But sometimes in life, there are friends who have been where you have been. They just wait for you a couple of paces ahead, quietly encouraging you, and giving you the gift of patience, because they know your strength. They know you will get there, and once you do, what a beautiful sight to behold.
Comments
Post a Comment