What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Ontario. The Blue Water Motel. Simple accommodations with a personal touch. *The Bend Eatery, ample portions of pemeal and creative homemade fruit-covered waffles. A vacation without tourism. Cars in the parking lot with license plates from the United States are rare.
Pinery Provincial Park. A cool breeze, and time doesn’t demand each second be filled. Branches wind into patterns begging to be photographed or painted. I pay more attention to the scenery than I do to the zipper on my backpack.
A butterfly jumps rather than flies from one space on the path to another. As if leading the way. He flies from the trail after I take his picture. Is he sending a message? I don’t want my photo taken. Or, pay attention, lady.
“Which way does this path lead?” my husband and I ask two young women as we reach a fork in the trail.
“To a view of the lake.”
Yes! We need to go. A man with two small dogs meets us on the way. We tell him what we were told, then stop at a park bench to rest and enjoy the breeze, the sky, a lake blue enough to be good friends with the heavens. The path was uphill.
I don’t realize my backpack is unzipped until the gentleman returns. “Is this yours?” he asks.
My wallet! Inside are my driver’s license, money, and credit cards. I can barely speak. Thank you comes out as a sputter.
A Canadian angel with two small feisty dogs just saved my life.
We return to the Blue Water Motel. Route 21. A few more days vacation. Washed with gratitude. I pray my attitude remains, blossoming, growing, turning our remaining few days out of the States into awareness—on as many levels as possible.
Thanks to all who turned the word relaxation into a reality. Peace to all who need to find it.
*link found only on Facebook, a new facility
terrypetersen 