Swing

A month before we left to travel, I was taking a jog around the block in Denver as I was waiting for my immunization appointment that promptly left 4 bright bandaids on my sore arms, but I digress. I ran past a jungle gym and looked for people around me (I’m still working on trying to not filter or apologize for being an adult who loves to play) and I hopped on one of the swings. It felt great to pump my legs and feel the familiar rhythm of swinging.

I thought about the rhythms of life that make us feel content in our worlds. I thought about music, holding a baby, a rocking chair, running, and waves. The things we can immerse ourselves in for hours and just allow ourselves to experience them and be held, nourished, and comforted. As I remained swinging and pushing away my thoughts of being too old for this, or that I should be doing something more “productive” I searched my mind for why this felt so right in this moment and it brought me back to a word … SUSPEND.

By now you may have noticed, I love words, quotes, poetry, songs and anything around the special meaning of words. One of my most used apps on my phone is the Merriam Webster dictionary/thesaurus app. I especially like to use words to set an intention for my year. This year I’ve chosen DELIBERATE, SUSPEND, and SURRENDER.

Suspension reminds me of a letting go, a trusting, of that space in between leaving something behind and starting something new, the feeling of walking into the ocean when your biggest toe just can’t touch anymore. And a place where you release your comforts and trust that the world will provide new opportunities to hold your mind, body, and spirit. Tomorrow we will start trekking the Annapurna Circuit and I will constantly be reminded of these guiding words. Wish us luck!

Photo by Lucy Beth Greene