Walking through the freshly fallen snow,
I set out on my morning adventure.
I'm barely aware of the sun rising just over the hills behind me,
Its pinkish glow along the horizon,
Creating a sea of glitter-like sparkles as the light hits the snow,
Resulting in an almost magical landscape in front of me.
The only sound I can hear is the crunch of my footsteps breaking through the crust of the newly fallen snow as I walk down the country road,
So crisp and so fresh.
As I approach the entrance to the woods,
I notice how the trees ahead of me are so beautiful and almost unreal as the snow heavily drapes their branches.
The contrast of the tall green pines makes the white of the snow seem even brighter.
I open the gate and step onto the narrow path,
Lined on both sides with snow-covered trees.
I slow my pace and feel an immediate environmental change,
Like a hush,
Inviting the visitor to respect the sacredness of this place.
I'm becoming more aware of the cold air as it hits my face.
It's crisp,
But not uncomfortable.
Its fresh,
Clean sensation gives me a feeling of heightened awareness.
I pull my hat down a bit more over my ears as I continue to walk,
Grateful that I dressed warm.
I dig my hands down a bit deeper into my jacket pockets as I continue along.
I've been here so many times,
So the path,
Although covered in snow,
Is familiar to me.
I stop again and take a few deep breaths to allow myself to take in the fresh,
Woodsy smell,
And the majestic sight of the tall trees.
I can already sense the feeling of being home,
That comfortable,
Relaxed feeling,
Feeling safe to release any stress and to completely let down.
I stop and stand there for several minutes,
Taking in deep,
Cleansing breaths of the cool air as I leave the world behind and enter this enchanted place.
I'm keenly aware of the sound of my footsteps echoing in the silence of the forest as I continue along the path.
I almost feel like I'm intruding in this world,
But at the same time I feel completely comfortable and at home.
I allow my thoughts to deepen to places within me that I rarely am able to connect with.
Although the forest is eerily quiet and completely still,
I begin to become aware of the subtle signs of life around me.
I can see rabbit tracks crisscrossing the path ahead of me.
Their tracks are unmistakable,
The small front feet alongside the big long tracks of their back feet.
Sometimes you can see where their fluffy little tail brushes the snow as they're hopping along.
I look around and don't see any rabbits,
But I get the feeling that they're there,
Lying in wait in their cozy burrows until I've passed.
As I continue my journey through this healing space,
I begin to hear a familiar sound up ahead,
The calm,
Steady gurgling of the creek around the next bend.
As I get closer,
The sea of trees seems to open up and pull me towards the water.
The boulder near the bank invites me to stop and take the time to relish the peacefulness of being here,
To enjoy the healing sound of the water,
To take in its restorative energy.
So I stop and take a few minutes to sit on the boulder in appreciative silence,
Watching the water flow continuously and effortlessly through the depth of the forest,
Over the rocks and under the fallen trees and around the boulders that have sat in this place for decades or even centuries,
Totally unaware of the busyness of the outside world.
The peace of this place is almost overwhelming,
Cutting through any worries or concerns that I've brought with me.
I feel my heart coming alive as though nothing else in the world matters.
Nothing matters right now other than this.
All of my worries have melted away.
I feel the beauty of this place,
Transforming,
Healing and lifting every burden.
As my lungs inhale each new breath,
I feel refreshed and renewed.
As I sit for a few more minutes on the boulder,
I notice a slight noise up ahead on the other side of the stream,
A large buck with huge antlers slowly comes through the trees and notices me,
Trying to decide if I'm friend or foe.
He must have decided that I meant no harm because he moves towards me,
Stopping at the water's edge.
A hush seems to come over the entire forest as our eyes meet.
I'm frozen in awe of his beauty,
Feeling privileged and honored to be a part of this meeting.
He slowly bends his neck down towards the stream and takes a drink of water,
Then quietly turns his back to me and walks away.
What an amazing sight.
I inhale a deep breath of forest air and slowly exhale as I stand up and continue my journey.
I walk along the stream for a bit,
Then turn off into a clearing.
Above I see a hawk flying circles high above the tops of the trees,
Probably looking for his breakfast,
Maybe a mouse or a small rabbit.
As I continue my walk,
I feel a gentle shift inside of me.
What used to be worries,
Burdens and cares seem to have all melted away.
I continue breathing in the clean winter air of this place as I begin my walk towards home.
The sun is fully up in the sky now,
Welcoming the new day.
I feel grateful for the hope and the healing of this new day.
