It has been a rough time. I have been ill. It has drained me physically and made me cranky (crankier than usual). My close friends appear dissatisfied and blue, seemingly reflecting my own feeling of discontent. I had signed up for a class to sort of shake me out of my stupor, but now, true to form, I don't really want to go. I shun change and strangers. It makes any kind of growth as a person difficult to say the least. However, I was reading a friend's blog and it gave me a figurative slap upside the head. Her own personal millstone in life is momentarily weighing her down. (I say "momentarily" because she is an innately good, strong, beautiful person who will shine again.) We all struggle with something. I need to move forward. Grow. Be a person. Interact. 
As a means to that end, I grabbed the dog and we sought out a back trail not far from my home. The outdoors is a sure way to recharge my batteries. It was quiet and beautiful. Serene. I thank God that there are these little natural havens in the city. We were rewarded by the sight of a pair of falcons sitting high in the trees. I can never quite find the words to describe the peace I feel with gravel crunching pleasantly beneath my feet and large boughs overhead creaking in the wind. Pure joy.
