Shaken...not stirred.

On a cold December, Sunday afternoon, I needed to take a walk. My companion was my water bottle. It goes where I go and never leaves my side. I needed some air. It needed a place to sit.

The holidays can be difficult and this year, thinking I was good-to-go, I got side-swiped by the holiday blues. Yes, it was family stuff. It's what grabs my affections the fastest. I take walks so I can get my head-on-straight...so I can find my peace again. With no one around, I was able to express feelings out loud and relieve tension that had been resting heavily on me.

I believe we have answers to our dilemmas. Private, quiet moments unearth them. My feelings have a way of letting me know I'm faltering and my soul has a way of lending words to help soothe. Talking it out enables processing and brings the light of truth on the situation accompanied by clarity and peace.

This bench provided what I needed. I might have been a bit shaken, but I wasn't stirred to swirl in the unrest I felt. Besides, with a view like this...life is breathed right back in.