Willow Tree

Dawn

I woke before dawn this morning, at about 4:30., while the skies were still dark. I like the stillness of early morning, when no one else is awake. It makes me feel as if I owned all I saw. A silly impression, I know. But when you look outside and there is no one stirring, but you know there are people all around the world is yours in a manner of speaking, because only you are partaking of the space about you.

Isn't that at least an aspect of possession?

I was not to own the world for very long however. At 5:15 I was meeting a friend for the first day of my new exercise plan. We would walk up the hill and meet another friend, and together walk through the Yishuv, waking up sleeping muscles and strengthening ourselves for the day.

This area is perfect for exercise; it is full of hills and valleys; walking up and then down, mounting stairs and almost falling down steep inclines, does wonders for the leg muscles, not to mention the heart. And here are hills surrounding us, with their cloaks of mist and the sun emerging red and fiery between them. The sounds of birds; as if one were in an aviary, brings music to the ears. The air is crisp and cool at that hour; a soft smell of dew; the sky lightening well before the sun rises, as if it is leading the sun in procession.

The talk was mainly "women's talk"; family and food. Too many dismiss such conversations as trivial and if that were the only topics I ever head I would go mad. But this way of connecting and seeing other's lives is an important function of being a friend; for what is really more important than the day to day trivialities that make up our lives?

Big thoughts are important; but how we function day to day, our own personal hurdles and triumphs, make up the heart of our day. And without the heart the brain can not function.

Posted by Rachel Ann at October 4, 2004 06:06 AM