I have a new ritual.
Early Saturday mornings I pull on my favourite jeans and my beat-up hiking boots and venture out to a favourite place of mine.
I hike along the still damp trails, breathing in the natural musk of nature... it exhilarates me. The sound of the wind rushing through the trees is music to my ears. The scurry of little animals, frightened by my step, brings a smile to my face.
I stoop to pick dainty wildflowers and place them in my hair, so their sweet scent will be my companion as I hike to my final destination... the waterfall.
My heart races as I hear the sound of rushing waters, imagining before even seeing the beauty of my waterfall. Then there it is... liquid crystal cascading down hundreds of feet of rock, gathering in a pool of diamonds below. What could be more beautiful?
The ritual begins. I survey the side of the cliff and spot my rock. It's quite a climb to get to, but so worth it. As I scale the rocks with my goal in sight, I am aware of my muscles quivering as they work hard to reach their mark.
My rock... as I perch myself upon it, I am so close to my waterfall that I can almost reach out and touch it. The water hitting the rocks splatters on my face, the mist drenches my hair. The roar of the rushing waters drowns out all other sounds around me.
I close my eyes and breathe deeply. I am one with the cleansing flow. I imagine the water spilling over me, washing away all my cares and stresses. One by one, I reach into my soul and draw out the hurts, the frustrations, the pain, the anger. In my minds eye I look at each one and make a decision. Do I want to hang on to this and let it eat at my soul or will I decide to just let it go, to be washed away by the waterfall... I choose the waterfall.
Sometimes it takes an hour, sometimes it takes three, until all the pain is washed away. But then comes the peace. The waterfall floods my soul with warm, comforting peace. A peace so intoxicating that I would dance if I wasn't perched so dangerously upon a rock.
The ritual is over. Another week begins.
