The Joy is in the Journey

As summer comes to a close, I reflect back on some of my favorite moments.  What I realize is the most special ones are those where I have felt a sense of awe and wonder.  My favorite place in the world is our little beach shack on the Outer Cape which has been our closest thing to a second home; we have rented it for one week in August every summer for the last 23 years.  There is a sense of history and nostalgia there, and I sit on our porch on the picnic bench and look out at the sand and Long Point, the very tip of Cape Cod, in the distant horizon. I see the footprints in the sand, and wonder how many children have pattered their way down to the beach with buckets and blankets.  I watch the setting sun change the color of the sky and water, and think of all the cookouts we have had on that beach for decades with friends who are now as close as family.

Today I rode my bike with a few friends on a beautiful, country road which echoed the curve of the shore below it.  There were so many vistas which caught my eye and my soul as I road along leisurely- beautiful seagrass blowing in the breeze, a great blue heron feeding in a saltwater pond, sandy trails leading to long stretches of beach- discovering new memories along the way.   There was no sense of urgency, no rush to get to a particular spot.    Taking our time, enjoying each other’s company, and living in the moment; letting the day unfold in whatever way it would.

Heading into fall, let’s not lose that sense of joy as we journey into every day; appreciating our surroundings, our loved ones…appreciating our bodies, the way the body moves and all of our senses, bringing awareness into everything we do.  After all, the joy is in the journey.