...and then she went for a run.

The day that started grey and gloomy suddenly gave way to sun rays and lightened up the sky. She left her job, caught a bus to the place she parked a car in the morning, and drove the car to a park. The decision came spontaneous. Luckily, she always has a change of running close and a pair of trail shoes.
She carefully started out. She didn’t take her music along, and she could hear the birds chirping and the creek waters flowing. The trails were almost dry, the air moist, and the trees budding. She gave herself permission to walk anytime, and she used it. Yes, there was pain, but it was mild and didn’t bother her. No, she didn’t solve the world problems, but for awhile there was peace in her soul...

A couple of years back I had a side-job as a yoga instructor. Every now and then people would come up to me and ask if I meditate during a class or after. I had to always say the truth - yoga to me (and it could be different to everybody else) was a physical...well, not exercise, but a way of keeping my body aligned and healthy. Running long, on trails, on another hand, is totally meditative. If you ever ask someone who runs long - and the definition of it can be any range - what do they think about, most will respond - nothing. At first thoughts come visit and stay, kind of sit on a couch, and you actively entertain them. Then they stop by for a short moment, like on a not very comfortable chair. Later they just float by, without even saying as much as hello, and sometimes you forget them before realizing there were here. Clearing the mind? Running high? Who knows, nor is it important...

She came home, and there was a letter from her older son, short and dry, but with “I miss you” line in it. And the younger was smiling eagerly awaiting to play the new song he composed. And she thought - what the hell was she talking about? She has her kids. And she has two legs that can go one step after another. And these are enough reasons to live happily.