The Walk

We walked quietly and together, to the path and of the path. We were of each other and of the earth, but mostly of ourselves in that we had a connection with everything else. The path did not fold out before us, it simply was there and we were also there. There was more joy in "to be" rather than to search for.

I stopped quietly, once again, to let her graze. This time I lightly and quietly stooped down, sure of my surroundings in that I could easily see down the hill to my right, up the hill clearly to my left, down the hill in front of me, and even up the hill behind me due to the way I was angled. I kept very aware of everything, and even found myself able to hear the beat of the bug's wings near me. She sighed quietly and contentedly, as did I, at the same time - coincidentally? I was not sure, but did not care to bother the moment with logic. There is a time for everything, and this was the time to be. The sun shone brightly and consistently, the blue sky clear and easily joyful. The green grass and clover shone green, emerald in its purity. She paused and raised her head to look at me, signifying the understanding and realizing that I see the world now as she does. I swear, she could have smiled - smiled at me.

When I raised myself, she did as well. We walked the rest of the way up the hill in great silence, but great clarity - the rope touched the ground, and she walked briskly and loosely behind me with her ears up. She was focused on what I was focused on: the two people approaching ahead of us, my mother and Anna, and my beloved Sarge. I smiled at them from the inside, and so she did as well. We may as well have not had that rope - it was not being employed in any way.

As we made it back down the hill, there were times when she would stop to graze or pause to look around. Often times, it was when I found myself pausing in the moment. To get her to catch up, I would take a skip with one side of my body and she would trot energetically up to me, then follow softly at my side. Oh, how good of a feeling.