A
STEP AT A TIME
I was out walking the other evening after supper.
The sun had not yet set, but there was an undeniable hush in the air.
The prairie breeze, so persistent during the daytime, had long since
vanished, leaving the soft hues of dusk to paint the landscape around
me. Even the birdsong had changed to a gentler tone. Nature was preparing
for evening's rest, and so was I. It was a quiet time, a gentle time,
a nostalgic time. Walking does that to me, especially in the evening,
especially when the sun is setting.
There are so many ways to walk. We walk through doors of sorrow. We
walk through doors of opportunity. We walk through the ages and stages
of life. Walking is such a natural part of our life that it has become
a metaphor for just about everything we do. For example, the simple
expression, "Take a walk," can mean anything from losing
your job to going for a leisurely stroll in the forest.
When we're trying to solve a problem, chances are we'll go for a walk
to air things out. When it's time to leave something behind us, we
walk away from it. When we're trying to gain some perspective, again
walking enters the picture. Walking does wonders for those times when
we're emotionally overwhelmed. Walking is good for us in so many ways,
including some we probably haven't even thought of.
For example, we walk briskly in the morning to get the blood going,
to get our energy revved up for the day. It's a time for doing, for
hustle, for enthusiasm to meet the day's agenda. Anything other than
brisk would simply not be adequate.
Noontime is a more thoughtful time. The day is heating up, the body
slowing down a bit. One can afford to be a bit more mellow, a bit
more observant at noon. Somehow it seems a wiser pace when the heat
of the day is mounting.
Yes, there are many ways to greet the day, and many ways to face the
issues it presents, but in my book, none are quite as effective as
walking. When the heart is heavy, the tears are welling up, there
is nothing like a good walk to sort it out. And when fortune is high,
enthusiasm's energy just seems to propel the feet along.
In a way, walking has become my mirror. Whatever the mood, whatever
the time of day, it is all reflected in how I walk. Walking is good
for your heart, and not just the one that keeps the body going. It's
good for the heart that governs your emotions, too.
Walking binds hearts together. When friends walk, it brings them closer,
whether there is conversation or not. The simple act of shared presence,
of coordinated footsteps professes an unspoken inner connection.
There's something healing to the soul about walking, about climbing
to the top of a hill to watch the sunset. As you reach the summit,
the spaciousness you see before you somehow reaches deep inside and
bathes your wounds in the silent reassurance that only the Infinite
can offer.
I love to walk in the woods, to marvel at those stately inhabitants
whose presence on this earth will far outlast my own. I love to walk
by the sea and let the ceaseless pounding of the surf restore balance
in my psyche, bringing a deeper coherence to the tides within me.
Tides of desire. Tides of longing. Tides of purpose and meaning.
And then there is the walk along the mountain path, each upward step
revealing wider horizons - horizons that cast deep reflections in
one's own soul, that make you wonder, "Are there horizons just
as vast within me?"
There is nothing quite like walking to meet a friend, or better still,
your own beloved. What joy there is in every step, anticipation affirming
the blending of hearts which occurred long ago. And of course there
is the other side of the coin, when the steps are slow and heavy and
sad, when the time has come to say the mortal good-bye, and yet part
of you knows that good-bye is but a step toward the day when you will
meet again on the other side.
How we walk is our signature of time. We start with little, infant
baby steps, so tentative and hesitant, yet increasing in confidence
over time. How like life that is. As children grow and mature, leave
the nest, go out on their own, every step is a new beginning. Even
when we are grown, we move through life a step at a time. Steps filled
with bravery and courage. Steps unwilling to give in to fear. Steps
filled with faith and trust and hope. Every step we take is a portrait
not only of where we are but of where we have been.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately, how we never face our
challenges alone. Others are such an important part of this journey
we are on, so now as we move into the Fall season, as our steps bring
us closer to the end of yet another year, I'd like to offer a wish
for you:
May your steps be filled with confidence.
May they take you to inspiring places.
May they feed you at your deepest levels.
May they spark your imagination and replenish your spirit.
May they break through all the tangled places in your life, and
Be for you a way of pilgrimage along the secret mountain of your life,
And as you seek the path to climb it,
May you find it goes within.
May it lead you to peaceful places and healing waters.
May it call you to quiet times that renew and restore
As only true solitude can do.
May it show you that your horizons are really within you,
And may the ancient song of your soul
Adorn the gates through which you enter.
May it reveal the mystic within you.
May it release the laughter that chases away all pain,
And may it take you into that timeless realm
Where words are no longer needed,
Where all the shrines of all your seeking await you.
Yes, someday, in the dusk of evening,
May your footsteps take you
Into your eternal, internal landscape
Where all is as it should be
And all is well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Donna Miesbach~