The Stillness I Didn't Know I Needed

-

Just after Christmas, my world shrank to the four walls of my living room. A fresh surgical scar is a tight reminder that physical activity beyond walking is a major expedition, confining me to a version of "house arrest."

Now, before I get too dramatic, I realize this is the time of year when most Missourians are stuck inside anyway, battling their own mild cases of cabin fever. If I could have chosen a time to be laid up, it would always be these cold winter months. The bare, gray landscape outside my window perfectly mirrors this quiet, forced hibernation; a necessary stillness that's teaching me the unexpected value of slow recovery before spring finally arrives.

My forced hiatus has given me the opportunity to reflect on what is important, what I'm missing, and, quite frankly, what I can live without. It's easy to take the little things for granted when we don't take the time to recognize them.

I spent the months leading up to surgery completing 100 push-ups per day as a challenge to myself. There were days I didn't want to do them, but I did, and it became a habit. I'm now on week three of no lifting, when all I want to do is a handful of push-ups.

Yesterday, Mother Nature's confusion gave me a near 60-degree day to get out and go for a hike. While I had been completing laps through the neighborhood, I looked forward to getting away from obnoxious neighbors and their barking dogs for a bit of quiet reflection. I walked a nearby hiking trail, fighting the urge to venture into the woods to scout for a fall ambush for whitetails. The warm south breeze on my face and the crunch of the leaves under my feet were a welcome change from the bustle of in-town activity.

Where do you find comfort? Where are you the most at peace?

If I asked ten different people, I would receive ten different answers to those questions. Is the gym your happy place? Maybe it's curled up on the couch with your favorite book. Some would say the sound and smell of a gentle summer rain from a covered porch washes away their stress. On any given day, I, too, could vary my answers slightly. Some days it's a leisurely stroll like I experienced yesterday, knocking out a set of push-ups, or watching a dry fly drift in the cool, clear waters of Bennett Spring. Whatever your mode of relaxation and path to contentment, enjoy each opportunity you are given. You never know when it will be taken away or put on hold.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Missouri Giant

-
Image
                     I had been consistently hunting this small property for five or six seasons with decent success. I experienced several cool encounters caught on film, hundreds of trail camera photos, and put some meat in the freezer during that time. The property was a perfect bottleneck: a 17-acre creek bottom where two large blocks of timber pinched together, surrounded by wide-open pasture and agricultural fields to the east and west. It was a textbook setup, the kind that made my heart race with anticipation every time I walked in. Initially, I placed a stand near the middle and hunted it religiously. Over time, the deer wised up. It was a slow and frustrating process. The resident doe groups shifted their pattern just outside of bow range, a constant reminder that I was being outsmarted. I felt a familiar frustration bubbling up, and I knew I had to adapt or fail.  In the fall of 2020, saddle hunting was qui...
Read more

September on the Niangua

-
Image
The cool air and distant scent of wood smoke signal my favorite time of year for camping . We make it a point to plan one or two trips as the temperatures cool and the leaves begin to change, often finding ourselves greeted by uncommon peace: less crowded campgrounds and ideal weather for hiking, fishing, or simply relaxing by a fire. Our first trip was slated for late September. We booked a roomy family site, envisioning a weekend of floating and fishing with my son and his girlfriend . Friday, we planned to float the Niangua from the Bennett Spring Access to Barclay, and then dedicate Saturday and Sunday to fly fishing the spring for trout. We arrived on Thursday afternoon to find we weren’t the only ones taking advantage of the gorgeous weather. The campground wasn't full, but as the sun dipped, painting the trees in soft, golden light, only a few vacancies were remaining. We leveled our home away from home and began setting up camp to await our visitors. As always, I pulled c...
Read more

The Stand of His Own Making

-
Image
It is a bittersweet feeling when your son is old enough to venture into the woods on his own—the satisfying knowledge that you’ve done well as a mentor, mingled with the quiet sadness that they no longer need you, at least not in the same way. I first felt this two seasons ago when Austin took a couple of morning sits on one of our small, private pieces. I loved getting those text updates throughout the morning, even if nothing offered a shot. That independence was put on hold in 2024. My son was fully immersed in paramedic class, leaving him no time for the woods. We hunted once during rifle season, and he helped in retrieving my 10-pointer, which we skinned and quartered for the cooler. Since he graduated in April, this season has been wide open, and the anticipation has been building. Our season began in earnest on November 7th, right after I helped a friend haul out a giant from nearby public land. Austin positioned himself at a key intersection of terrain, and I settled in at a we...
Read more