Discovery

One of my favourite Christmas experiences is to sit by the fire reading, 

 

or to sit peacefully in the evening, with the Christmas tree lights, the fire and a few candles lighting the room. 

The evening is a great time for reflection, to consider the past year and whether to make changes for the year ahead. In the last year, it surprised me to discover things about myself I did not realize. It is as if my conscious mind caught a glimpse of the self my spirit always knew.

My husband and I spent time this year exploring places new to us on our island home of Prince Edward. After the tourists left, the trails, beaches, and heritage roads were empty. We didn't meet another person during our explorations, as if we were alone on the planet on these occasions.

 

At such times, the stillness of nature will envelope you if you permit it. Allow it to enter and you become one with the breath of the earth, the rhythm of the living world. 

 

The cycle of life from new to old unfolds all around you. A river or stream babbles so as to report its delight in its condition and by its motion reaffirms the cycle.

We have walked busy streets in various cities around the world, such as New York, London, Sydney, and Paris. We enjoyed the hustle and bustle on the streets, the opportunities to explore and experience new things. We may do it again.

However, I have learned that for me, nothing compares to the feeling which comes with time in nature, walking a trail or beach and sharing a beverage, often a thermos of tea, with a loved one. The tea is almost a sacrament, a symbol of the serenity which bathes the body and inspires the soul. The air is fresh, and the sounds of the water, the birds, the wind in the trees all soothe the mind and body. 

 

Self discovery is an important part of aging. Better late than never.