[Seek] Peace in the Woods

[Lent 11]

It was our fourth hike of the year and my foot was on fire.

Not literal fire. The kind of on fire one experiences when one loses their mind and goes hiking (on crutches) with plantar fasciitis in both feet. We purposely went on a short hike close to home because of this. I had to get out and enjoy the Spring-like early March day. I needed to hike no matter the cost.

Toward the end of the hike, my husband asked me how I was doing. I responded that I was in excruciating pain, but was enjoying myself. And that I was on the cusp of being in excruciating pain and not enjoying myself, so it was good that the hike was ending. I thought nothing of this statement until I mentioned it to a friend who thought that being in excruciating pain and enjoying oneself were mutually exclusive. I went on to explain that it's the type of excruciating pain that makes the difference. Foot on fire pain was fine, but adding in the worsening migraine, it would get to the not enjoying myself point. Somehow, this still did not make sense to said friend.

It's difficult to explain my particular pain/enjoyment ratio to someone who doesn't live with the kind and amount of pain that define my existence. 

It was actually because of the pain that I wanted to hike in the first place. I needed to be in nature, even if just for a little while. Not outside on my deck. Not outside at the park. I needed to seek peace in the woods, enveloped in the sights and sounds that only exist when you're surrounded by trees and rocks and wind and wild things and the music they produce.