Since I created this goal, I’ve been surfing the web looking at various articles and postings on spirituality, hoping something would jump out at me. Today something did, in an unexpected place. It was a pamphlet on caregiver stress that said the usual take care of yourself blah blah blah I’ve been hearing for years. Then it posed a question – “Ask yourself How do I renew my spirit?”
I couldn’t think of an answer.
I’ve never been a religious person. I grew up in the bible belt, surrounded by religion but like my parents I had difficulty with accepting all that was presented to me. I began to doubt at a very early age, I’m pretty sure I was eight. I’ve only had tangential relationships with any spiritual community since then finding them too stale, too scary, too boring, too dogmatic, etc…
Back to the question, I tried to remember a time in my life where I felt my spirit renewed. And I remembered a day about 5 years ago. I was going through a difficult time in my life and my sister and friends were helping me out. We went for a hike on a very hot Texas day in the middle of the afternoon. It was a good hike, since they didn’t talk to me while we were hiking I have this thing about chatty hikers, they drive me nuts! I don’t mind talking during a break, but I just want to enjoy the trees and sounds and not talk about nonsense At one point, we took a break and jumped in the creek. The water was cold and gurgling over rocks. I climbed my way around the rocks and lay in the stream partially submerged -feeling the water flow over me in a wonderful cleansing way while the bright sun beat down on me. It was in that moment I felt something and continued to feel that something until a horsefly bit me on the leg.
I still don’t feel like I have an answer to the question, or a complete answer. But the possibility for an answer is leading me outside.
