Walk With Me

I wish you could have come with me on this walk. Stepping on to the trail, swallowed up by the forest of pine, cedar, fern and moss, the road traffic disappears. We would have shared our wonder at the blanket of brittle fire-hued leaves covering the path.  I stopped and smiled – and wished you were with me.

Because it truly was a magical morning in the watershed. The forest floor, tucked within the folds of the hills, was still filled with the deep shadows of morning while the tree canopies glowed with sun-kissed warmth. The trail turns, dips and climbs. Around the corner it reveals a deep ravine where the ferns and moss are dense, impenetrable. I think of my children when they were little and how if I had them with me we would wonder if that was the doorway to fairyland. Perhaps we would shudder slightly, trying to see into the darkness to what lay beyond. We would share a smile, enjoying our fanciful flight into imagination and slip our hands together as we continued to wander.

The youngest child sits in her high school class right now. I remember her little hand in mine while I walk on. Three little hands of three little children that always tugged at my own.

Over the uneven ground, my steps rarely falter. Walking in the woods is all about peripheral vision and keeping the knees soft. If you were here, I would point up the bank of ferns towards the huge, illuminated yellow leaves of the young maple standing out against the dense, dark green backdrop.

You and I, we would probably hold hands for a moment and release and later, again, brush our fingers together. We would notice how low the water is and talk about the coming of winter, the rain and whether or not the long-term forecast predicts snow.

There is one place on the trail - our voices would have grown quiet as we listen. The chirping surrounds me as the birds noisily greet the day. The sun, now bright and streaming through the trees, makes it hard to see what kind of small bird is making such a racket. I don’t care, I’m just enjoying their chatter – it stills my own internal voices. 

And in that moment, it doesn’t matter what work comes with the day. Everything is simple – my appreciation is enough. A warm breeze tickles my nose, a soft goodbye from summer.

My steps are slower as I make my way back towards the sounds of traffic and barking dogs – where everything feels so very complex.