Thoughts From a Hammock

On Saturday I took kiddos #2 & #3 to family day at The Light Center. What a beautiful, peaceful place. We mostly just sat/wandered around visiting and exploring the place -- the kids took advantage of the hiking trails with their friends. The place is a wonderland, really. The owner's daughter told them to "watch out for fairies" as they took off down a path. It was just that kind of place. I expect there really were a few fairies there.

I spent a short bit of time testing out their hammock (gotta get mine set up one of these days). It was a nice spot to marvel at the green in this part of Kansas. The Light Center is in a woodsy sort of area. Lots of hills and trees and water! I'll never get over the water in this part of Kansas.

I think non-Kansans probably bring to mind a picture of Dorothy's house in The Wizard of Oz when they think of our state. It's that wide, flat expanse where you can see the tornado from miles away. That's where I grew up. It was truly flat. You could look north and see all the way to town (5 miles away). In every direction you could point out farms by the clusters of trees that stood on the horizon. The riverbed that ran through town was entirely free of water for most of my childhood.

It's really nothing like that in eastern Kansas. Don't get me wrong -- western Kansas has it's beauty, too. But there's nothing of the green there that you see here. It is absolutely vibrant -- a dazzling color I'm just not accustomed to.

Anyway, I spent some time in the hammock and I spent quite a bit of time thinking about the little black cloud that plagues me. It's sources are quite clear.

Wanting... longing for things you just don't have is always a good way to spin yourself into dark days.

Fearing change... it's so easy when everything is comfortable and familiar. Moving doesn't mean I have to give up the friendships that have become so important to me, and who knows what new relationships are in store? There's lots to look forward to. Change is what you make it.

Being sedentary... my level of physical activity in the past many months has greatly diminished. I've used the excuse of cold weather, achy knees, or lack of time and company. My yoga practice has become the bare minimum to keep the twinges out of my back. Walking distance has been measured by how long it takes the dog to poop. I remember a professor in college once saying that the days he most wanted to stay in bed were the days he knew he had to really push himself to get out and run five miles. It's time to start pushing again. Walk, run, or bike... I'll outdistance my little cloud.

I think I feel it trailing behind a little already.