Although most of the homes in my
neighborhood provide a scenic view of the mountain valley, there is one spot
that I like to frequent that is heads above the rest.
I make sure I stop there, sometimes more
than once, on the route I take during my jogs. At this point, only one home
has been built on this tucked away circle, and because of that, I get to enjoy
the gift of an almost 360 degree view of the rugged mountains, the striking
blue sky, and the homes and lights and hustle and bustle below. To be honest,
sometimes knowing that this peak will be my destination makes the hard work of
running worth it.
As I climb to the top each time, my
elevated heart rate seems to calmly slow. My breathing becomes deeper. I
ascend to the highest part of the street, covered in sage brush and sporadic
wild flowers and a peace flows over me. In a literal, but also figurative and
deeply meaningful way, I feel each time as if I am on top of the world.
I don’t stay long. I don’t need to. I
will be back. I just need a moment.
What is interesting to me is that this
same view is afforded in many areas much closer to my home. In places that
take much less effort.
But there is something about the effort of
finding it. Something about the journey to that place, right at the end of
the road, or around the corner, or up the hill, that makes the destination
somehow more magical.
Take the opportunity today to make the
effort to find beauty. It may be in your own backyard. It may be on your
drive to work. It may not even be a place. It may be in the sweet laughter of
your pudgy baby or in the wrinkled smile of your grandmother. But it is all
around you. Find it.
