By Dawn Onley

The older I get, the more I value the quiet solitude of an early morning walk. When it’s just me and nature, and the occasional hello from a passerby, I feel the most alive.

Momentarily, during my walks, I’m free from life’s stresses, from the hustle and bustle and noise. And it feels refreshing. It’s a renewing of the mind.

I observe. I hear. I feel. There is so much beauty to see. The rising sun peeking through the clouds and the sky coming alive in an array of hues. The mom pushing her child in the stroller. The elderly couple walking hand in hand. The wildlife feasting in the distance. The birds chirping. The flowers that dot my path. The smell of the earth right after it rains.

The rhythm of life.

It’s important to take time out to decompress. There is always a pile of things to do. That same pile will be there when I get back. I cherish these daily walks. They have become a ritual, and I feel off on the rare days that I don’t make it out.

It’s where I recharge and refuel. It’s also where I do a lot of my thinking. I work things out in my head before the day has begun properly.

Yesterday, a lady caught up with me to ask a question about the distance of my walk. Before long, we had struck up a conversation and we were walking together and talking like old friends. She told me she worked with women as a fitness trainer and that she was trying to launch a Web site promoting her business. I told her about Women Who Hope.

We marveled at the synchronicity of life.