We went for a family walk after dinner last night. Mostly because our girl Hartley needs the exercise. She looks at us with very sad eyes until we get her leash on and get her out the door.
Her desire for evening walks often turns out to be a gift to all of us in different ways.
In addition to getting our blood pumping, I’ve found that deeper conversations about life with the boys come easier while walking, than they do while sitting at the dinner table together. It’s almost as if the hustle and bustle of the evening routine inside the house disappears when we step out the front door. The demands of homework, deadlines, and practice schedules all seem to stay inside when we walk out to breathe the fresh evening air.
There’s a different kind of quietness for the soul outside if you look for it.
While the boys stopped at the park to throw the football, I kept on around the lake with Hartley. We stopped at the water’s edge to let her sniff around and I was drawn in by this beautiful view. I sat down in the grass and watched the ripples on the water made by the fish foraging for their dinner. The birds were chirping and the sun was setting, with its golden pink hues.
For a moment, my mind was quiet.
All the push, push, push. All the rush, rush, rush, of my day seemed to instantly melt away. I suddenly had clarity of thought and felt a deeper connection with God.
It reminded me of the opening paragraph from the “Magic Tree House” book series that my boys love so much.
Jack and Annie are usually in some sort of wild hurry to get to the treehouse. As soon as they arrive, and set their intention on where they want to go, the treehouse starts to spin. “The treehouse started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then suddenly, everything was still. Absolutely still.” When the treehouse is finally still, they find themselves in some new magical land that is full of adventure awaiting them.
It’s exactly like our lives.
The world is spinning. Our lives are spinning. Sometimes it feels like they’re going faster and faster . . . until we remember we can quiet our minds. We can go to a quiet place and set our intention on where we want to be. Then suddenly everything can become still.
“We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become acquainted with ourselves, to think our own thoughts and live our own lives in a way that is not possible for those keeping up with the crowd.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder
You too, can quiet your mind so your soul can speak.
Find a quiet place, amid all the spinning today.
You might be surprised at how quickly centering your soul in the peace and quiet will drown out the fear and confusion of the world spinning all around you.
Where is your quiet place?
to more love,
Crystal
