Sweet moments – A Walk in Virginia National Park

Today is the first day of the year and I am on vacation!  I wake up in a beautiful bed and breakfast, and my honey and I are greeted by the sounds and smells of fresh homemade ginger and molasses scones.  Today is an easy day to have a sweet life, I am relaxed, at peace and I have no agenda for the day.

These scones are some of the best pastries  I have ever had!  I could choose this as my sweet moment and finish the post right here  - but I won’t.

The sweet moment I choose came later in the day.

We are traveling back to DC and driving past a national park when we make a spontaneous decision to take a short hike because the weather is beautiful.  It is 15 degrees warmer than the day before so it feels almost balmy, around 60 degrees, even with the cool wind that blows gently from time to time.  We decide to take advantage of this beautiful day and walk up to a scenic point on the top of the hill.

I have to admit the steep incline makes me short of breath and I have the fleeting thought: will I make it up this hill?  Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all!  I quickly let that thought go because it feels so good to be moving my body as we climb the hill.

We get to the top and just sit quietly for ten minutes, looking out to the vast horizon.  As we sat on the bench looking out over the valley I took a moment to realize that there was a time when I would never have taken a hike on winter day, not because I was worried about my physical strength (I’ve always been an athlete) but because I was afraid of being cold or uncomfortable.  I have learned to love moving my body more than being afraid of the cold.  Putting on an extra layer of clothes, taking my winter coat and hat even when everyone else isn’t wearing one, solves my cold problem and my body thanks me for it.

My thoughts return to the present. I’m back on the hillside smiling at my accomplishment and the beauty that I  see just because I was willing to get out on a winter day.  A kind man sees me struggling to take a selfie and comes to the rescue to take a picture of this moment for us to remember.  We walk back down feeling so happy for our beautiful walk in nature and the cool air. 

It was a sweet moment for so many reasons: I moved, I shared the moment with someone loved, I was out in nature, I took deep, delicious breaths of fresh air.  I felt so relaxed and had done something beautiful and nourishing.  I started out the year doing things that I love.

To Your One Sweet Life,

Dr. Dae