Sauntering Through the Woods

I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least - and it is commonly more than that - sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements. 

~Henry David Thoreau

It is a glorious day!  The sun is out, no harsh wind blowing through the trees, and my schedule allows freedom to play.  I take Hannah, a golden retriever near and dear to my heart, for a walk through the woods.  We are both smiling, happy to be outside and away from others.

What is it about being in nature that calms my soul?  When the birds take flight singing their song, my eyes follow them across the sky, feeling as though a part of me is soaring above right along with them. 

As we walk along, I observe Hannah as she lifts her snout up into the air as though she is detecting delicacies fresh from an oven.  Her entire body wags in delight as she almost prances down the path. 

It is the trees who call loudest to me.  They have been stripped of their brilliantly colored leaves and yet they remain standing tall and proud.  Facing a season of brutal winds and freezing temperatures, they remain courageous.

We find ourselves off the beaten path.  I settle onto a bench hidden in the trees while Hannah quickly settles upon the ground, as happy as she can be.  This is where I can relax, breathe in the crisp air and exhale the built up holiday tensions.  I slowly return to being me.

Oh how I need this solitude, to be isolated from those I dearly love,  to have a gentle breeze sweep away the emotional remnants hanging in the hallways of my mind, and to rise spiritually out of this human form.

This is my favorite space in what is called time.  I am limitless, and not restrained by boundaries of any kind.  I am freely connected to bird, tree, and sun as it all becomes a part of me.  Suspended in nothingness, I am filled with all there is to be seen and unseen.  A sacred oneness enters me.

It is here in the woods with life kept at bay, that I have the strongest sense of self.  Surrounded by nature, all becomes holy.  I am content to be me.

Reluctantly, I stand to leave these sacred grounds and Hannah pauses as though she, too,  is saying good-bye.  Together we find our way back to the path, slowly retreating from the woods into the static noise of the world.