Every weekday morning I wake up at 6am...which is kind of a miracle since I normally don't get to bed until 12 midnight or later. Sam is up shortly after. At 6:42am we are in the car and driving to the school so Sam can be on the bus to his Business/Tech school by 6:51am. Every day...EVERY DAY...when I get up I think to myself...'after I drop Sam off, I can go back to bed.' By the time I get dressed, put in contact lenses, talk with Sam about the schedule for the day, drive to the school...I am awake. At this point, my thoughts turn to making the choice of where to take my morning walk. Most days, I go to a local park...very large park...with walking trails...called Winton Woods.
There was a particular Wednesday in October that was such a morning. Even though I had heard on the radio that there might be rain moving into the area, I was committed to taking my walk. Or as my dad would call it, 'my daily constitution.' At 7am not only was the park empty, it was still dark. I love this time of day. Love hearing the animals and birds chattering their morning greetings. It is serene. It is rare these days, but I don't carry my phone, or listen to music on my walks. For some reason, this distracts me from the beauty of the natural landscape around me.
Off I go...fairly slow to begin, but I'm not in a race...I will slowly build my pace throughout the trail. In the center of Winton Woods is a lake that is large enough for small fishing and paddle boats. The main walking path is around the lake and over 2 bridges. I have watched deer cross my path, and a Blue Heron stand silently on rocks in the water, heard both ducks and geese call to one another through the morning fog. It is delicious. I need this connection with nature on a daily basis. It centers me.
I rarely take my phone with me on my walks. If it is used at all, the camera setting is chosen over all the rest. Most days, I miss the very best pictures, because I am not carrying my phone.
Thus it was on one Wednesday in October. I set off in semi-darkness, counting my blessings along the way. As my path lead toward the main Pavilion, the sky was getting brighter. For a little while, my view was obstructed...but as I came to a plaza area which offered an open view of the eastern sky...I was delighted to see the beginnings of a brilliant sunrise.
The rain forecast allowed for unusual cloud patterns. The golden sunrise gave pattern and depth to everything it touched. I stood still, enveloped by the deep purple night giving way to light pink, orange and yellow that could only be enhanced by the rain clouds forming overhead. Words cannot describe the unbridled beauty of nature for that moment. And it was truly only moments of this morning sun perfection.
Within 10 minutes, this array of natures glory had already peaked and began to fade. Turning my back to the water to continue my journey, I beheld brilliant golden trees overhead. The rising sun was high enough to touch the tops of the trees and expose them to a wonder of color. Mesmerizing. Literally stopping in my tracks at the surprise of light and color. I felt as if I needed to breathe deeply and allow every sense become immersed in the moment of the scene before me.
Again, as the sun rose higher on the horizon, the colors of the trees changed, the light became muted, I moved my feet and began my walk again. Throughout the rest of my musings that morning as I greeted fellow walkers on the trails, I thought about the significance of that sunrise. It was obvious to me that very few people had the opportunity to view those beautiful colors at the peak of it's brilliance. It amazed me how very short lived the whole experience was.
One of the bridges over the Winton Woods lake is a combination road and walking trail. Winton Road is a major north-south thoroughfare and the commuting traffic is very heavy in the early dawn hours. Although the road opens on the bridge and there would had been a beautiful view, the concentration of traffic would impede any likely observance except for a brief glance at the sunrise.
What I have long known, is how quickly life, patterns, goals, strategy's, opinions, and knowledge can change. When I first thought about righting this blog about my observations of that morning, I had plans to tie the brief moment of optimum color of the sunrise to my dear Young Living experiences with their farming and harvesting choices. Waiting until the precious peek at the true moment of ripeness and then swooping in to harvest then and only then...watching carefully to avoid harvesting too early or too late.
However, the story of the sunrise is even bigger than harvesting plants. It is about knowing that each moment, choice, goal, decision has a peek moment. Even every emotion has a peek moment of complete fullness...it is the moment when you cannot go back, and, almost like a roller coaster that sits at the top of a hill, there is a time when you can only move forward. Sitting at the top is no longer an option, just as the sun cannot stop it's sunrise and must rise in the sky.
The end of Autumn is here, winter is waiting. Ask yourself...is this the peak of this experience? is this the peak of this family gathering? is this the peak of my contribution this year? is this the very best I can do? what more can I do? what more can I say?
And as always....love those around you- neighbors, family, friends or strangers...you may be their peak...the only moment of calm, love, friendship, patience, concern...that they feel today.
