I recently returned from a wonderful trip to the Redwoods. Of course, the best part of the trip was spending a week with my daughter, Emily. Flying first class, courtesy of the PRA Holiday airline raffle, was wonderful as well. I could easily get used to traveling that way!
Equally special to the time with Em was walking/hiking among these magnificent trees. I have a thing about trees, anyway, but being in the Redwoods is a truly transcendent experience. They are the tallest trees on earth and some of them are over 1,500 years old. As you may know, they are related to the giant Sequoias but only grow along a narrow coastal strip in Northern California.
Margaret & the Redwoods
What struck me more than the size or age of the trees was the complete silence in these groves. The stillness was palpable. Standing in their splendor it was easy for me to be still as well. I thought of how challenging it is to be still in my “normal” day and thought about PRA’s Day of Reflection as a way to capture the benefits of being still. Perhaps Gandhi said it best: “In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness.”
I promised myself to hold on to the awe and the stillness as I return home. All I need to do is look at the trees to bring it all back.