The other day we needed to take our trash down to the dumpsters which are right next to the river. James asked us if we wanted to go walk down by the water after taking it and it reminded me of how something so simple can be such medicine. It has been a very stressful couple of months. The kind that never seems to let up for more than half a day. Beyond moving and unpacking, there has been so much family stuff that has needed our attention, that there has been very little room for our own family time. Our connection points lately have been playing skip-bo after dinner and squeezing in a few moments like this in between the demands of life. Simple taking 15 minutes to walk by the river feels like a reset button gets pushed. Ava finds all the boulders to climb and collects cool rocks along the way. James gets quiet and grounded and skips rocks. I wander off, soak in the light glistening on the water and usually take photos. We all have our own little happy zone in different ways in the same place. Days like this, when we can remember to pause long enough to enjoy a simple walk, brings restoration.
