Stillness

A tranquil breeze blows in from the north. Sweet scents of flower blossoms drift by. The surrounding nature is in no hurry. A small creek gently flows through a valley of ancient trees. The crisp, clear water replenishes the local foliage and creatures with the essential source for life. Large branches loom overhead, sheltering the small, sprouting plant life and animals below. A protecting feeling, much like a warm cozy home, permeates throughout the area. Intermittent bird songs play throughout the environment, resembling a natural symphony.

All around, autumn leaves tumble graciously down from their branches, like miniature ballerinas twirling to the earth. Wild birds rustle in the piles of brown and discarded leaves in search of seeds. The dry foliage crunches and breaks by the titter tatter of small feet as critters of all sorts rummage and scour for treasures hidden under the vegetation. Occasionally, a puffy tailed squirrel will peak out and cleverly scurry around in search of a meal. More rarely, a deer will delicately happen by to visit a grazing meadow.

The tall azure sky, with patches of soft white clouds and the glowing sun, shines magnificently upon the valleys below. Every direction, to the edges of the land which the eye can see, stretches only the meadows and woodland areas. Nothing of a town or city, or even a car can be found. No honk of a horn, not the droning of traffic, nor the incessant murmuring of city life can be perceived. The true escape from the bustling of people and technology is finally found in these remote and small pockets of raw, untainted habitats.

It often takes days to reach this sublime scene. But serenity is worth the effort. With the activities of the human realm shed off and left behind, the mind becomes as calm and undisturbed, much like the surrounding landscape. A few regenerative days enveloped in the embrace of hundred year old trees, pristine and soothing rivers recharges the mind and spirit. Stillness brings true bliss.