Forgiveness Walks

July 24,2024

I got a late start this morning as I indulged my YouTube video-watching habit to play political videos. Since Sunday’s pivot in the election story, I’ve been very curious how various pundits explain their views. I especially want to learn how people I disagree with explain the issues!

I escaped in time to get to my Mom’s room at 9:40 to find her dedicated to her morning nap. I let her be and went out to the public living room space and commiserated with another resident’s daughter while also building a puzzle to occupy my brain. read more

July 23,2024

This morning I craved my walk. I argued with my inner task master urging me to do a computer project before heading outside. I humored her for an hour then closed the lid on the computer world. “Walking in Nature IS my job, so I am going!” Both types of work must balance..

Stepping into the woods confirmed my knowing. An intriguing fragrance wafted over me. I couldn’t identify it and I enjoyed its pervasive sweet and pungent aroma, nonetheless. I walked for an hour, stopping off and on to engage with other people through my smartphone, grateful for its usefulness, good cell service, and unlimited data. I am generous with myself using my phone during my walks. It’s my office, after all! I responded to a few emails and FB comments, meeting women who want to walk the AT. I set up a zoom call to meet my current adventurer as she prepares herself for her walk in September. read more

July 21,2024

I took myself on an adventure beyond what’s now become my “usual”. I drove 2 hours to southern OH to Arc of Appalachia for the open house part of the event Mothapalooza, a weekend focused on caterpillars! That’s what thecaterpillarlab.org brings to the world! What an eye-opener!

Anyway, I spent the night in the woods where one of my sisters lives now and walked on one of the trails in Arcofappalachia.org.

Many thoughts and feelings and ideas arose as I walked at a comfortable pace, used my senses, ignored my resistance to connecting, and reflected on walking in service. Here are some of them: read more

July 20,2024

I chose walking in my neighborhood park for 1.5 hours over driving 30 minutes to the pretend AT trail. That’s because I want to get over to my Mom’s home and entice HER to go outside! Gratitude for walking out my door into woods filled me! The paved path winds through a meadow, around a pond and through woods with tall trees. Nice variety for my mind to wander. What caught my eye more than anything was a patch of Echinacea flowers. I noticed that each one was unique in its shape, combination of petals, shade of pink, and various injuries. I thought of all of us having our own lives of strengths, challenges, bruises, withered dreams, and all that. That’s why we need to craft our own versions of fulfillment and choose our paths to meet our own dreams! Walk on! read more

July 19,2024

This morning I craved a walk on my pretend Appalachian Trail. Meeting a wonderful courageous woman by phone at 10 a.m. to coach her through Walk for a Singing Heart gave me the perfect window and incentive to get moving over to the park and walk. “Oh, I am sooo grateful to myself for setting this priority and having everything I need to step onto this trail,” I thought.

I arrived just before 8 a.m. and immediately noticed the prevalence of beautiful sounds! Listening intently to the varied and soothing natural sounds arose as the theme of this walk. I could still hear the usual mechanical sounds of my urban location, however, in this place the natural sounds were winning! Yay! read more

July 18,2024

Yesterday, I recommended to a new Fulfilment client to awaken all five physical senses when walking in Nature. That requires touching plants! Do you have a basic knowledge of your local flora to avoid toxic plants? In Ohio, I’m thinking that poison ivy and mushrooms would be the ones to avoid smelling and tasting. What do you think?

What are the plants to avoid in your area?

That’s what I was exploring in my morning walk today. Do you feel free to touch natural objects??

July 17,2024

This morning’s walk started with reminding myself to use my own practice of awakening my senses and turned into a creative session of expanding my personal power in my outdoor office on the trail!

I was contentedly awakening my sense of smell, scratching and sniffing twigs, picking up handfuls of soil, bruising and sniffing leaves (“Sure am glad I can identify local plants and can teach others how to do that,” I thought!).

My phone pinged and I noticed that I had received a voice message from a colleague in London about the Satori board game that we both facilitate. Our conversation inspired me to peck out an email to the staff at the Institute for Radical Forgiveness in Johannesburg, South Africa. I kept walking on the bike path, grateful for the technology to blend walk with “work”. read more