Remembering who I am...

I think I forgot who I am. Things have gotten so overwhelmingly busy lately, between school and work and running the girls all over the place for various activities, I haven't taken the time to do what I need to do. Sometimes I just need to make time to be me - to take a long walk in the woods by myself and find a quiet place to sit and just breathe. I've always been a "stop and smell the roses" kind of guy, and when I don't have time to do that, my world becomes unmanageable.

So I got up at 4 o'clock this morning, made myself a nice big pot of coffee, and I set out down the trail that leads from our back yard out into the beatiful world of the White Mountain National Forest. It was still dark out, and we're close to a new moon, so I had to bring a lantern for light. I walked about a mile down the trail to my usual thinking spot - an overlook on the side of a cliff, looking down over the river below. It's a beautiful spot, and there's a rock there that's just perfect for sitting on. I sat there and drank my coffee and listened as the sounds gradually transitioned from night bugs to early morning birds. Just as the sun began to peak out from behind the mountain ridge to the east, I spotted a bald eagle soaring high above the valley, against the backdrop of an orange sky reflected in the river below. Nature in all its glory. Batteries recharged. Ready for another day, another week.

I stayed long enough to finish my coffee and reflect again on what's important. I watched the eagle circle the valley a few more times, and I thought about how lucky I am to be here. Right here. Right now. The balance of this world is so delicate, and we have the power to maintain that balance or to destroy it with the choices we make each day. Not just the balance of man vs nature, but our own internal balance too. Too much running, not enough sitting, thinking, reflecting. I can't live that way. For me, balance is everything.

And I feel balanced again. I needed that.