Hello Luv
Today, my morning walk has taken me on an old, abandoned cart path that once connected the Ashuelot River in New Hampshire to Boston. Thoughts of a particular person occupy my mind. Unfortunately, this person is not doing well. I am afraid that in his current state of mind, he might hurt my daughter or me.
I am well aware that it is futile to engage my mind with these thoughts. I also know that it is detrimental to my health. And yet, this morning, I am choosing to occupy my mind with negative thoughts rather than enjoy this lovely summer morning. I can’t seem to stay in the present moment. As I walk along, I allow my mind to go down the rabbit hole of fear and anger.
Then, rounding a bend in the road, I spy a single maple leaf waving frantically in my direction. The leaf’s companions on the branch are utterly still. It is only this one leaf that is trying to catch my attention. The leaf’s endeavor is successful. It brightens my mood, and I respond to the leaf with a cheerful, “Hello Luv.”
I make a conscious decision to continue to respond to the world around me with this same salutation. I say “Hello Luv” to the birds as they call out from the woods. I utter an enthusiastic “Hello Luv” to the purple wildflowers poking their way up through last summer’s leaf litter.
As I continue my walk, I call out a “Hello Luv” to the moist, earthy smell of the forest. I am now feeling joyful as I pass beneath an exquisite archway created by the branches of white birch trees growing along opposite edges of the path.
And then I see a Styrofoam coffee cup discarded on the trail. My mind quickly goes into judgment mode. I rebuke whoever the person may have been, who threw the cup on the ground rather than taking it with them. I feel the tension return to my body.
Then I notice the pretty pink and orange colors of the two-letter DDs printed on the cup. So I say, “Hello Luv” to the cup with the appealing capital letter Ds.
I have reeled myself back in, and I am once again paying attention to the world around me. I smile as I hear the high-pitched whistle of an eagle calling out from its unseen location in the woods.
And then, I hear an airplane flying overhead. Again, feelings of annoyance rush in, and I abandon my intention to stay in the present moment.
Keeping with the spirit of the morning, I take a deep breath and say, “Hello Luv,” to the plane and its crew and passengers. I wish them all well as they continue their descent into Logan Airport.
I’m feeling relaxed, and a bit unburdened as I turn around and head for home. That is when the horseflies find me. The horseflies are irritating and relentless. I know the female fly requires blood to lay her eggs, but I am not in the mood to donate mine.
As I swat at the horsefly trying to rip my skin, I contemplate how much easier it is to love the easy people in my life. On my walk today, it was much easier to send love to a green maple leaf, a wildflower, and a singing bird than to a crushed and discarded cup, a noisy plane, and a pesky horse fly.
Eventually, I do manage to send a “Hello Luv” to the horsefly even as I am in the process of slapping it when it lands on my leg. I laugh at myself as I acknowledge that I am indeed a work in progress.
I think I will take a page out of the persistent horsefly’s playbook and become so determined and so focused on staying in the present moment that nothing will distract me.
With Love & Healing Energy by the Pond,
Laurel
laurel@energybythepond.com
