Coming home

Thank God!

I mean it. Literally.

I got to run on the Centennial Trail yesterday for the first time in three months (I don't run in snow and ice) and it hit me like a kick in the gut. But a good kick in the gut. Can that be possible?

It was like coming home, an overwhelming sense of "God is in heaven and all is right with the world", kind of feeling. The weight of living is still there (budget woes, unrest in the middle east, and most heart rending, a dying much beloved dog friend), but it is balanced with a sense of peace. Not a rest peace. More like a living, breathing, creating give and take...me and the universe, the universe and me. Sounds kind of pretentious, but I truly believe that each one of us is that important.

Do you ever have that feeling of coming home? I think it is most clear when you brush up against it after having been wandering far from it for a long, long, time. It's that kick in the gut, that feeling of realizing the loss you have been living under without it. The world steals bits and pieces of us slowly, so slowly that we don't even realize how far from home we are, how far from ourselves we have allowed ourselves to stray.

For me, hiking has always taken me home. Feeling the breeze, smelling the pine trees and feeling the sun on my face, being far from man made things helps me to feel a connection that I can't explain but that powers my soul. I don't think I am unique in this. I have heard from many people that being out in nature helps them to find a sense of peace. Running on the trail allows me that same feeling without having to go very far. It is why it is SO important to have these islands of nature in an urban setting. The runners, walkers, and bikers that shared the trail with me yesterday all had smiles on their faces.

Music takes me home. I will hear a song or be at a concert and feel tears come to my eyes, feeling that sense of "Where have you been? I have missed you". Somehow during the day to day living I have not allowed time for it. We don't allow time for so many things that are important.

Here I am with Super Sprecka

So I thank God for those things that take me home and I've finally written a check to support "The Friends of the Centennial Trail" organization. I am embarrassed to say that it has taken me this long. Our budget is tight since I no longer have a steady paycheck, but I cannot NOT support this organization any longer. I have included a link especially for those of you in the Spokane area if you are inclined to take a look and also support this worthy organization.

So, what takes you home?