|
On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, lots of people come to the arboretum to walk the paths and enjoy trees native to the Shenandoah Valley. I was lucky to get a parking spot. This arboretum has been at the top of my list of local attractions to explore since we moved here in June 2022, but it took a writing assignment to finally get me here.
I head down a well-maintained gravel path, slowly leaving the city behind. I love the smell of forest — that fragrant mix of air, soil and plant life. The sky is brilliant today, with patches of blue peeking through the tree canopy and enough cottony clouds to protect me from direct rays of sun without darkening the beauty around me. The wind tousling the tree’s leaves calms me better than any meditation app ever could. I feel myself letting go of the tension I always hold in my neck and shoulders. It’s 65 degrees and sunny, the perfect day for a hike.
The arboretum’s path leads me to a solitary wooden bench — lonely along the path. It beckons me to stop and write a bit in the notebook I brought to record what surfaces during this excursion. Fellow hikers pass by, but no one seems to think me odd for sitting and writing. This bench, in this arboretum, seems made for people to stop and contemplate their place, their existence, their God.
| 
