The last birthday my grandmother celebrated with us was my baby cousin’s 11th birthday. At this point, she teetered between being 100% mentally present and drifting to a place that just made her look so peaceful.
In conversation, I was sharing with someone that I think that when my grandmother had those peaceful moments it was because her mind was walking her to those places. Either through prayer or just pure contemplation she reflected on her life and smiled.
Part of this was probably because after her seizures and long stays in the hospital her body was no longer capable of carrying her from point A to point B. Physically she was a prisoner of her at-home hospital bed, but mentally she was sharp. She was still capable.
Right now, I’m the exact opposite. I’ve been a prisoner of my mind for a very long time and it’s just now that I’m taking ownership of my body. For too long my mind carried the weight of the world because I had problems to solve and people to tend to.
Now, my body is carrying me and believe it or not this has freed my mind in a way that’s allowed it to really blossom. I’ve done more than I thought I was capable of simply because I have the time and energy to walk from Point A to Point B.
Walking does a couple of things for me. On a really basic level, it’s exercise – it makes me feel good and healthy. On another level, the more I walk, the clearer my mind gets. Especially when I’m walking towards one of my favorite spots.
