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As an unknown and unwanted situation begins, our human reaction is fear. Some of us panic while some of us stay measured and calm as we try to wrestle with the fear that wants to rise to grab our attention. I was reminded of how striving forward, and winning the wrestling match with my fear can have very good outcomes as I walked Norman yesterday morning on a walk through innumerable pine trees, around and over the
top of rock ledges, all just beside the Deschutes river.
Over the past five years, the boys (my dogs) and I have made this walk more than easily one hundred times. We love this route as the soundtrack heard the entire time is the river running, sometimes whispering in the summer, sometimes with more volume in the winter, but always present and soothing. The trails run everywhere, and many are not on any map you would pick up to navigate your way as a first-time visitor as hikers and
walkers and pups have made their own trails.
The first time we chose to walk on these trails I did so with more caution as I did not know where each trail would lead and could not see that far ahead or around me as the forest was dense with lush low shrubs and bushes and a multitude of pine trees obscuring as well as creating a beautiful aesthetic for the mind to be present and decompress. Norman was beyond ecstatic and tore forward faster than I wished to go at a
swift walking pace. Before long, I lost track of him, and I became worried - where did he go? I couldn't see anywhere beyond 50 feet, and with him being small, it was near impossible to know where he was. I searched and searched and as it was the first time this had ever happened, I knew it was out of pure delight and curiosity that his feet had carried him. I asked walkers that had passed if they had seen a small red and white dog - no such luck. I decided to go back where we had already
walked, but no Norman. And then I heard from a fellow walker I had previously passed, "I found him!".
I ran forward along the trail where we had yet to walk - where I had yet to walk - and he was searching for us. The helpful walker shared, "He won't come to me, but he's looking for you!". He was. He was looking for us, and he had followed the trail forward, where I should have gone because, Why would I go backward, Mom? (input Norman's voice in that question).
While Norman learned one thing during this entire heart-pounding situation, I learned many things. What did Norman learn? To this day, from that experience, if he gets farther out ahead of me, he will stop and check to see if I am coming (I kid you not). The situation indeed scared us both.
What it taught me especially now as I shared earlier, this once scary, unknown skwiggles of trails is an area we know like the back of our hand. I no more fear Norman getting lost than I do falling out of love with France. We know it well, and know to keep walking forward and there we will meet each other, and always do. He never has and I have never worried once since that first and only experience.
Lesson (1) The unknown is scary when we are not prepared, so it is in the acquiring knowledge, credible knowledge, that calms and eases the worry; Lesson (2) Ask for information from those that know more than you do - the fellow dog walkers knew that area better than I did on that day and helped to look and locate Norman quite quickly; Lesson (3) Deeper appreciation and deeper awareness of what we value and care for increases
quickly and in abundance when we are awakened to how fortunate we were to have it in our lives in the first place; Lesson (4) Strive forward and don't dwell - I immediately began looking for Norman. I immediately began asking for help. But I did not go forward. The latter was my error. The only way to move through something is to strive forward. Unknowns want to teach us something, but we have to choose to learn. What awaits on the other side is logically far better as we have gained knowledge
of how to navigate the once unknown situation and lessen or squash any fear we once had.
(Some of you may have been wondering, where was Oscar during all of this? He was walking/trotting right along side me the entire time. I never once worried about him as he is my shadow. :)).
The current situation the world finds itself offers many unknowns, but every day we are learning something new when we trust credible sources, when we don't overwhelm our minds so that we can think calmly and rationally and take care of ourselves well both mentally and physically. We will get through this, and the only way through to a better outcome, to a better world that knows how to handle this situation should anything
similar re-emerge, is to strive forward and grow and then apply the lesson. We've got this, so long as we do it together and do so moving forward into the unknown.
I am so happy you opened this week's newsletter as it is FULL of extra content. Three-additional-posts full in fact. There is something for Francophiles AND Anglophiles as we occupy our days while staying at home. There is a second list of Petit Plaisirs you might enjoy AND the monthly regular post - Saturday Ponderings . . . is full of ideas to lift and brighten your spirits. Of course, the regular weekly postings
are available as well, so I do hope you enjoy.
Spring is in full swing, although we did have some snow this past week here in Bend (and I believe on the east coast as well), but still, it is spring and with every day we have more sunlight, my daffodils in the yard are getting ever closer to blooming and the buds on the trees are becoming ever more plump, readying themselves to burst forth. Wishing you a lovely weekend - find the good, let yourself rest when you need to, learn
something new that excites you, and until next
week, stay well, and I will see you on the blog.
