Oh COVID, what times are these – yet how very lucky I am to be here in this place. This is a post on noticing on an amazingly beautiful morning, as I went where my legs would take me.
Every morning I run. I run just over 2 miles (round trip) to a wonderful tree – big, old, wise tree – and sometimes it whispers to me with the wind in its branches. whispers encouragement or simply whispers a hello to say it’s there. Trees are special to me.
Today, though, I did not run to the tree- I ran to the shop to get milk, carrying my cloth bag and mask- because there were workmen coming to mend something in the garden and it would be rude not to offer them a drink, especially on a day like today (we’re set to reach 37ºC here. ouch.) The shop was not quite as far as the tree and I thought I should top it off so I went part of my normal route, which goes by the seashore.
First I was greeted by the gorgeous Lulu – a lovely fluffy black and white cat. She invited me to roll around on the pavement with her, and although she looked so comfy, I declined and settled for giving her a scritch behind the ears before I ran on.
The breeze along the sea was far cooler than along the road to the shop, and it was refreshing. There was still a bit of shade as the sun had not quite come up above all the houses, and because of the sea, the houses are up a bit (10 feet or so) and that gave just enough shade to make running feel cool. Perfect. I went 1km, to the ‘hard standing’ which is a small patch of pressed stones where people launch little dinghy boats and paddle boards and things like that – but not now, the tide was out.
As I went back I looked at the empty basin of the finger-like harbour (‘creek’) and briefly entertained running across the affectionately named ‘secret-passage’, which is a footpath of pressed stones across the basin – only accessible at low tide. There’s a little cement bridge over the part where the actual creek always flows out to the sea. The basin is never completely empty. I did not go there, but I did stop in my tracks.
In the middle. The very middle, was a woman greeting the sun. Salutations in the middle of the sea. I wanted to tell her that was beautiful. She was (is) not young, nor was she doing any sort of clever photo shoot or spectacle type thing. She was breathing it all in. and out. and she reminded me to do the same. -I snapped a short video of her, at a distance. I know you won’t be able to see her well, but that is because any closer would have been wrong. and besides, this way you get to see the scope of the setting.
(the video is here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CDve_SnATRf/ I’m having a challenge embedding it cleanly…)
I’m glad I ran (and didn’t drive) to get milk. I’m glad I gave the builders all the cake we had to go with their cups of tea and coffee. -and I’m very glad to have witnessed the lovely lady greeting the day.
Whether it’s your legs that take you somewhere, or your fingers through typing or writing, or your voice with a simple hello – Here’s to the day. Here’s to you. Here’s to what we can notice and what we can do.
#YesICan
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May all your days have such moments. As always, we must be attentive to see them. Thank you for sharing this one.
Bautifully written Laura. Beautiful day. Thankyou.