Walking at a slow and easy pace, I mindfully climb up a mountain trail on a cloudless day.

Prayer flags hanging in the trees. Some tattered, some brand new. All of them, hundreds of them secure in the branches high and low.
Crossing bridges made of wood I’m mindful to quiet my footfalls.

Besides the babbling creek, the only other sounds I hear
is the gentle wind rustling the leaves and grass.

Large stone incense burners filled with offerings of those who climbed before me, remind me to stop, rest, and breathe. Remember to breathe, take it in, and just walk softly. Peacefully.

This mountain; this hike under a cloudless sky
brings me closer to the place I’ve longed to visit for years.

My senses are awake. I feel peace and reverence.

I sit and meditate, letting go of the strings that hold me hostage to the stress and worry of the past few months. A knowing that I’m letting it go. I feel myself letting it go. I take a deep breath and wipe away tears of gratitude as I commit this experience, this landscape to memory.

I feel free, strong and affirm to myself that this mountain walk, this hike on a cloudless day, is a gift of beautiful peace that I get to experience as I travel along life’s path.

Thank you for reading my books: If I Could Tell You How It Feels, and Untangled, A Story of Resilience, Courage, and Triumph