Only five minutes from my home – a nature trail I’d never in all my almost thirty years of living here have I taken advantage of walking.

Well, that changed today!  I’ve decided to  take a break from facilitating SoulCollage workshops for the summer and take some time to renew and rejuvenate my energy.  Spending more time in nature is something I’ve been yearning to do. So I listened to the call of my heart and set out on the path of a nearby trail mid-day.

Years ago this isn’t something I’d have done on my own – afraid to set out on even a small adventure like this by myself, letting fear get in the way.

The minute my feet hit the trail, my spirit soared. The sound of the wind blowing through the trees better than any music on the radio.

Not having walked this trail before I had no idea how far it went or where it would take me. I just had to trust all would be fine. Well, ain’t that just like life – if we get out of the way – and just trust?

I came to this bridge and as I began to walk over it, I realized there must be a creek running beneath it. And there was – small, but sweet, as I stopped for a moment to take delight in nature’s best meditation of watching and listening to water flow.

As I continued a bit further down I caught the fragrance of a tree that I couldn’t identify because I was surrounded by so many. But it instantly took me back to being a little girl, playing in the backyard of my grandma and grandpa’s house when they lived in the country. Isn’t that amazing how a smell could bring that memory back in such a flash?

It wasn’t a memory with detail, but just a memory of that smell which reminded me of playing in their yard.

As I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, which I had on silent, to take this photo of a rock that looked in the shape of a heart, I saw I had a text from John. He wrote: “Hi Beautiful!” and behind the sentiment were three heart emoticons.  It didn’t register until I just placed this photo here on my blog post, and writing about it, that the synchronicity of it hit me…

Proof once again that the universe and nature is magical!

Just past this heart shaped rock I found more magic and what I have dubbed fairy butterflies. They were the daintiest, sweetest little butterflies that were periwinkle in color – and if you follow me here on my blog, you know that periwinkle is my favorite color. I’d never seen this color before in a butterfly!

I waited for a few moments hoping one would land. But they never did. They were almost as fast as fireflies and were busy, busy, busy. They had no time to rest.  And I just thought that they must be fairy butterflies because of their size. When I got home I typed in tiny periwinkle in Google search…and before I even typed butterfly, up it came as an option!

And so I share a photo of what I believe are the periwinkle butterflies I saw today.

After reluctantly tearing myself away from the tiny fairy butterflies, just a wee way down the path I spotted this tree stump with mushrooms growing on it. See?!  They really were fairy butterflies and this is their home where they sleep when they are done with their fairy chores for the day!

And so yes, perhaps my imagination ran a bit wild while I walked that nature trail. But isn’t that what it’s all about? To move out of your analytical mind for a bit and relish in the magical world of creativity?  A place I know so many yearn for but don’t always take the time to do. But how essential it is to our spirit and well-being.

Nature – where the wild things are and where your soul can find a soft place to land. I know mine is better for it having just taken an hour out of my day to do so.

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