There are some mornings that feel like more than just a morning.
This was one of them.
I got up before daylight and headed out to the preserve with a good friend for a morning on the trail.
Getting out that early is definitely not my normal routine, but I’m so glad I did. We arrived while the day was still waking up, and I got to watch the sun rise across the prairie.
The trail wasn’t exactly easy. There were hills, rocks and uneven ground. We spent about two hours making our way around, stopping often to rest and take in what was around us.
And there was so much to see.
We saw deer scattered throughout the prairie, including several that stopped long enough for me to photograph them. We even watched bison graze in the distance
Along the trail, we came across trees that had been chewed down, presumably by beavers. Seeing those little signs of wildlife at work made me stop and think about how much is happening around us all the time, even when we aren’t looking for it.
But more than anything, I was just taking it all in.
The sunrise.
The prairie.
The trees.
The wildlife.
The quiet.
The company of a good friend.
And myself, standing there in the middle of it all.
This was the first time in a while that I’ve been able to get out and really spend time on a trail like this. It wasn’t something I took for granted.
I found myself thinking about how much progress I’ve made.
There was a time when simply being able to do this would have felt so far away. And now I was there, camera in hand, walking through the prairie at sunrise, looking for wildlife and enjoying the beauty around me.
Was it strenuous? Yes.
Was every step easy? No.
Was it worth it?
Absolutely.
I think sometimes healing isn’t measured by the absence of difficult days. Sometimes it’s measured by the things you find yourself able to do again.
A trail.
A sunrise.
A morning with a friend.
Two hours spent wandering through the prairie.
Little things that don’t look extraordinary from the outside can feel enormous when you know what it took to get there.
So this morning, I wasn’t just photographing the beauty around me.
I was taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of being able to experience it again.
And maybe that’s what this new chapter of my life is about.
Getting out again.
Exploring a little farther.
Growing a little more.
And remembering to stop along the way and appreciate just how far I’ve come.
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