stillness

I barely know where to begin.

Most recently my mind has been entirely consumed with thoughts of the pending move to Alaska.

I have lists.  A booklet of lists.  Food lists, shopping lists, household item lists, to-do lists.  It is now that time when my lists must turn into a course of action.  Back to this business of where to begin.

I began with a pause.

This past weekend Josh and Rachel packed up the family minivan and headed for the forest.  Being that it was also Rachel's birthday, I decided to join this camping adventure. 

It was a weekend spent with friends.  The trip had been arranged to bring a group of families together.  Each family held in common their very own toddler.  There were five two-year-olds in total, and one infant.

In the afternoon parents chatted in the shade as their children slept.  Even as the peace of a multi-child nap spread camp-wide I struggled to silence my own thoughts.  It would take the energy of a toddler.

It was Eurydice who led me to the forest.

 In search of a deer we had spotted earlier, we climbed up a hill and into forest. 

 The forest stopped on the edge of Suttle Lake.

 Ever the outdoors-girl, she was in her element.

 Twigs were treasures.

 And sticks were drums.  Dum, ditty, dum.

 The moment came as we paused of observe the bumblebees.

The bees busy sped from tiny forest floor flower to tiny forest floor flower.  Crouching on at the edge of forest before this carpet of flora, I pulled Eury into my arms.  We paused to watch the bees buzz.  We observed the lake and boats on this water.  We looked at the tall trees, she snapped images on my camera of the trees (the above lake/forest photo) - not quite understanding how to look through the view finder.  We saw birds flying.  

In that moment there was stillness.  Here, my soul was quieted.