I found solace this week on a solo cross-country ski close to home. When I got to the trailhead, there were only three cars in the parking lot. I saw only one couple the entire time I spent skiing between trees and rocks and boulders, resting every now again to admire the view or appreciate the moment.
The swish of my skis on the newly groomed trail was the only sound I could hear. My breath made little vapor clouds in the crisp morning air and the early sunlight peeked through two tall spruce trees, glimmering like diamonds on the fresh snow. Sliding across the landscape, my steady heartbeat seemed to be in rhythm with the glide of my skis. It might not have been perfect, likely not even close, but it felt like that. My jumbled-up thoughts, all mixed together like a pile of mismatched paperclips, slowly untangled. The tension and worry waned. My shoulders dropped. My mouth started to turn upwards.
Whether from the physical workout that cross-country skiing provides, the quiet, the beauty of an early winter morning or the solitude, maybe all four, I found calm in the midst of an anxious world and sometimes an unsettled mind.
The peace stayed with me for the rest of that day, into the evening hours, and even today when I went for a walk. So, what if I didn’t post on my social media platforms? So, what if I am now behind on my latest writing project? So what?
Maybe I should cross country ski by myself more often.
How did you find solace this week?
Sharon
© 2022. Sharon Kreider. All Rights Reserved
One thought on “A Winter Morning Alone”
It sounds like a delightful break from the mundane events of the day.
Comments are closed.