Reflecting, Filling In
Today I am grateful for the friends I have made in the community we live in, including the recovery community here, and for the rain that held off during my son Sam's prom festivities.
I also appreciate that Sam had an enjoyable and safe prom experience with his girlfriend Olivia and others they spent time with.
I often get clarifying thoughts as well as treats from nature on my runs. Yesterday was no exception. The bilateral rhythm of my strides, the fresh air, the endorphins created. I gave thanks for timing that meant no rain as I covered the few miles I did.
Here are some of yesterday's observations and insights:
-Coming around a curve in the trail, I encountered a deer and we made eye contact for a few seconds before it scampered off into the trees. The deer called to mind the dear ones I was thinking about at the time, and how all creation is connected.
-I saw two cardinals (or the same one twice). I thought of loved ones gone and going. I thought first of my father.
-As I ran one of my favorite stretches of trail, along the river, through a wooded area, I fully appreciated the green and the filling in of leaves and other plant life. It is one of my favorite places to observe the coming and going of the seasons. Nature is an amazing process. From stark to full. It happens time and again.
-On that same stretch, there were several puddles from earlier rain. I noticed the reflections of the trees and sky in those puddles. I thought to myself, nature was mirroring itself. What was I mirroring in my own mind, what reflections were coming through?
-And this is what came through: My emotional well-being and depth of feelings are filling in. Emotions are being identified and felt in new and transformative ways. There is much work yet to do, but the work already done is making a difference. I am a work in progress and emotional progress is being made.
I returned home and took this picture, a welcome scene visible from our picture window each spring:
I also appreciate that Sam had an enjoyable and safe prom experience with his girlfriend Olivia and others they spent time with.
I often get clarifying thoughts as well as treats from nature on my runs. Yesterday was no exception. The bilateral rhythm of my strides, the fresh air, the endorphins created. I gave thanks for timing that meant no rain as I covered the few miles I did.
Here are some of yesterday's observations and insights:
-Coming around a curve in the trail, I encountered a deer and we made eye contact for a few seconds before it scampered off into the trees. The deer called to mind the dear ones I was thinking about at the time, and how all creation is connected.
-I saw two cardinals (or the same one twice). I thought of loved ones gone and going. I thought first of my father.
-As I ran one of my favorite stretches of trail, along the river, through a wooded area, I fully appreciated the green and the filling in of leaves and other plant life. It is one of my favorite places to observe the coming and going of the seasons. Nature is an amazing process. From stark to full. It happens time and again.
-On that same stretch, there were several puddles from earlier rain. I noticed the reflections of the trees and sky in those puddles. I thought to myself, nature was mirroring itself. What was I mirroring in my own mind, what reflections were coming through?
-And this is what came through: My emotional well-being and depth of feelings are filling in. Emotions are being identified and felt in new and transformative ways. There is much work yet to do, but the work already done is making a difference. I am a work in progress and emotional progress is being made.
I returned home and took this picture, a welcome scene visible from our picture window each spring:
Even after rain and on a cloudy morning, the blossoms were beautiful and fragrant. A picture can't fully capture that. And a written post can't fully capture the depth of human dignity and experience. Yet, they help capture the hope of new life, the knowledge that the clouds clear and the sun comes back out.
I covered a few miles on my feet, and a few in my heart and mind as well, on yesterday's run. There is much to reflect on, there is plenty still to fill in. I look forward to the opportunities presented.
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