Hello Atoka! I hope that all of y'all 'enjoyed our recent Memorial Day Holiday and were able to reflect on and honor those who sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for the freedoms that we all are privileged to have.
I have not posted ,nything about this is quite some time, but I am now celebrating my onE) year 'anniversary' of my metamorphosis odyssey and am quite pleased to say that my efforts have resulted in a positive result for me. I have lost fifty pounds and have toned down my body which has helped me in so many ways. I am emphasizing, again, that this has not been easy by any means but I decided to change my mind set and set small goals which would be achievable, not only for me, but for anyone who would be interested in making a change in their physical life. One aspect which many people fail to consider is not only the physical transformation which occurs but the mental part one enjoys/undergoes when they decide to make a change in their life.
I have always taken pleasure in walking, especially outdoors and seeing all that is within the world around us. I have been fortunate enough to see eagles in flight, the beauty of woodland birds, the changing of the seasons, the coming spring rains, and even the cold, bitter winds of winter as they howled their discouragement at me for being a fool to walk against the blistering sub-zero winter winds. I have been privileged to hear the cheerful chirping whistle of the mating cardinals, the call of the meadow lark, the soulful call of the occasional bobwhite quail, and the mournful call of the whippoorwill as the twilight faded from view. I remember thinking, when I was witness to these sights and sounds, that I was so fortunate to be in that particular place in time and that I felt sorrow for those passing me by in their hurried transit to their place of work or to destinations unknown by me.
A few days ago, I was taking my early morning walk and was nearing the county barn located on Timberline Road. The morning was still with no early morning breeze and just a hushed quiet on the early morning. I had chanced to look up the road towards the crest of the hill and was greeted by a sight which was as surprising lo me then as it was to the rest of my family when I later shared it with them. From the woods surrounding the black-topped road, a whispery wraith suddenly and silently appeared at the edge of the road and turned to look at me. I had seen him/her before being seen and had stopped in the middle of my stride and watched in silent wonder at the grown bobcat now stopped in the middle of the road looking at me some twenty feet away.
We looked at each other, both wondering what the other was going to do. I remember looking at this magnificent, beautiful creature and suddenly made a silent thought towards him/ her: 'I will not harm you, not now, not ever.' It was almost as if this silent wraith also sent the same silent thought towards me and we stood there looking at each other. I finally spoke aloud, 'what are you doing kitty cat?' with him/her looking at me and then silently turning back towards the woods and disappearing into the brush/woods like a silent sigh on the wind.
I continued my walk towards home, looking into the dark undergrowth to see if I could catch a glimpse of my silent wraith but saw nothing but the deep green of the covering foliage. I arrived home to be warmly greeted by Ranger and an eager wag of his tail greeting me. I told him of my adventure as we had our breakfast and asked if he thought the rest of the family would believe me when I told them of what I had experienced this morning.
I just wanted all of you to know that change is possible and that you can make a change in your life if you truly desire to do so. Make the change that is possible for you, set a goal that is obtainable, and remember that even the smallest of successes is a major victory in the accomplishment of your goal. Stop to enjoy the steps along the way and marvel at all that is around you. It is the small things in life that add up to what we are all living for and sometimes we forget to thank life itself for what we have.
I hope all of you have days to come when you truly enjoy what you have, who you have, and most of all, joy within yourselves as in the end this is what truly matters. I thank you for your time and wish you the best.
