Cool breezes

Many years ago, on family road trips, packed in our station wagon, all 5 of us would travel for hours without stopping. We'd stop at a hotel each night, go get dinner, and then head back to the room. Then my mom and I would leave to go walk for a bit, in the middle of a strip of hotels. It was a time to get away from being squeezed into a car or hotel room. Generally a breeze accompanied us.

Years later, my mom and I would walk each night during the summer on a 3 mile or so hike around a loop. We'd walk to a bike path, stop at the frozen yogurt store, and continue walking while eating our yogurt, on a bike trail that went through fields and a park. Then we'd branch off and take the shortcut home. This was during college - special times, getting away from it all, and often, thinking back, the nightly cool breeze came with us.

At Christmas time, my mom and I would walk another loop through 2 neighborhoods to look at the lights. I remember one year, her saying, "maybe we should just wait until next year" since it was cold. And I recall saying "no, I don't know if I'll be able to walk this far next year." And so we walked, looking at beautiful lights, accompanied by a cold breeze while in the still of the night. That was the last time we did that loop due to weather and then it becoming too far for me.

The last big hike with my mom and younger brother occurred during college. I announced we would hike to Flatop Mountain, from Bear Lake, near Estes Park, and I announced we would leave very early, even though my mom and brother declare they are not morning people. We made our way up, at various times stopping, with 2 people wanting to turn back and one person saying we should go a bit further. In this way, we made it to the top, accompanied by a breeze and slight rain. That was the last time we did a long hike from there.

Now I'm told to walk nightly. No one is with me, the walks aren't far, and they can be in strange places like parking lots. But as I was walking the other night, I felt a cool breeze that brought me back to the other times I walked. It's a somewhat magical cool breeze. I feel something special, bringing me back to the other times. And though it's not like the other times, I am walking at night and feeling a cool breeze that remains after all these years.

Is it you, God?

Peace.