The Park

“Let your soul stand cool and composed before a million Universes” ~Walt Whitman

I sat silently at the foot of a lake at the foot of a mountain recently; my plan was to simply hike the mountain. To find my way through the day and take in the life nature provides. I’d been having some struggles with writing and exercising my body has become an integral part of my existence, doing what I can to “turn back the clock”! In reality though, this is truly my way of staying in the moment to keep past and future worries from consuming me. I ended up stopping at a bench and writing for the first time in a while; what came over me was the realization of a million tiny Universes that keeps us all connected. The reflection of the mountain on the glass-like surface of the lake had me admiring the perfection of that moment, a man among the world in constant motion. Deep inside this magical place a squirrel is looking for a mate, a bear cub is learning how it will survive, and likely there were fawn playing around chasing each other. Streams constantly flow to find their destination, at times they are full and other times close to dry, just like life. There are picture perfect days and there are storms, both of which always pass. After some time, I hiked the mountain, all the way to the top and back, navigating my way over and through the terrain with an open heart and new found appreciation for connection.

The following day I made my way to this park I like to run because of the different stations to do other exercises. There’s a nice pond with a dam and ducks and on many days, families of turtles hanging out. Something was different this time; things that have always touched me seemed to reach me in a deeper place. Walking past the elderly couples holding hands as they sat on the bench, maybe their bodies weren’t able to do all the things they once did, however hearts were very much alive. Peace in their eyes and a hand to hold onto. Wondering in my mind exactly how this moment came to be for these folks, all the challenges and terrain they had to go through in their journey to have that look of contentment. I jogged past the area of the playground where kids were running around and parents watched with protecting eyes. As if worrying about bills, jobs, relationships, or really anything else didn’t matter. At least while they were there, honoring their young, allowing them to feel free. The thought came to me that one day, I will tell my own kids to dream big, play, explore, and soar. I will never put a limit on just how far they want to go. At yet another area I was jumping rope, kind of like a kid myself. A young couple began to work out together, laughing yet serious about the task at hand, which was keeping in shape, simply awesome. I hope that they left the park to share some ice cream or a pizza! Hey, we only got one life~ let’s live it! As I took all this in, a million Universes developing within our lifetime, an intense feeling came over me that the truth of world is we all need connection. For a very long time it was my belief that it was only a “want” in our lives. This way of thinking likely blocked me from fully having the confidence in myself to open up to my real purpose. I’m not certain of tomorrow; I know I have big dreams and a lot to offer someone and the world. Perhaps I’m a slow learner, but I’m grateful for the lessons I needed to learn in order to know exactly what my heart desires, in fact, needs. In that connection, two souls could stand cool and composed before a million Universes.