Outside

Herself speaks.

Cherished Friend visited us for the long weekend. It seemed like approximately a zillion years since we'd seen him in person. It's always a contentment to have him in the household, even when it is just for a few days. 

On Saturday, he, Beloved Husband, and I went for a hike. It was everything I had ached for, for ages: hiking, outside, in the best of company. All worldly cares put away for a few hours. The view. The trees. The mountain. The insects, even. The rocks. The gathering clouds. All, lovely. 

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It is Good Days like those that highlight, for me, the terrible impact of preparing for The Task: the inability to spend any time doing what I enjoy; the cost to my relationships with those most important to me -- those whom I neglected, by failing to reach out as I normally do, or to pay sufficient attention to the things important to them. I regret my self-centeredness during that time. (Though. in truth, I am not sure that I could have accomplished The Task any other way.) I am still struggling a bit to find my footing even a month later, though it is improving, bit by bit. Back to work. Back to the regular household activities. One step at a time, one day at a time. 

With more hiking. That will help.