“When we walk, we can take the hand of our loved one who has passed away
and walk with them. Our legs are their legs, and our eyes are their eyes.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
I announced I was starting a walking group
and invited my friends, thinking I was more likely
to remain faithful to my hike if it were
a public expectation. And it has been true --
On the mornings of our walk, I may grumble
And consider a long list of other things to do,
but I lace my hiking boots, grab my walking poles,
and greet my friends at the trailhead.
I have found walking is better with others.
With them, I exist only in the present,
chattering about some shared excitement
or a trail discovery. With them,
I am not ruminating about my sorrows,
nor weeping for a loss. So on my next hike,
I shall invite my daughter, too, the one
who has passed away, and walk with her.
My legs, my eyes, are hers. Together, we will
scramble up the rock overlooking the lake,
pause to admire a wildflower, lift our eyes
to the sky to watch geese passing overhead.
I have arrived, I am home
In the here and in the now
Walking with her.....
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