Mountains, Meadows, and Beaches

Our son lives in the beach resort city of Puerto Vallarta in Jalisco, Mexico.
Our daughter lives near the base of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, CO.
We're here in the rural Midwest of Southwest, MO.

There is some real beauty around the mountains. Their grandeur is truly awesome. I can see how people can feel almost reverent about their hikes and journeys into the areas around these majestic cathedrals of earth. I have enjoyed our visits to mountain country in the past couple of years, but I don't get the same sense of home or belonging that our daughter does.

I feel that my soul is more of an ocean guy. 
There is both a peace and a power that emanates from these large bodies of water. The land and the people around the oceans seem to reflect the peace of the water. The sound of the waves -- even the loud, crashing waves -- is a constant reminder of the ever consistent flow of life. Even in the rage of a storm, there is a hope and a promise to return to the peace of the rising and falling tides.
Yeah, that's more my vibe.

And here we are in rural SWMO.
The land behind our house is really more of a pasture than meadow, but I have plans to change that. I hope to slowly convert more of it to a meadow full of native wildflowers and grasses. I am making my peace with the rural landscape and enjoying the birds that come to my feeders, and the butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that come to our flowerbeds. While the politics of SWMO is not to my liking, I realize that it is not the land's fault. I so much enjoy the pretty moderate climate and the tranquility of meditating or just sitting and enjoying the peaceful beauty of our home and the surrounding area.
Perhaps a more rural beach community, not far from the mountains, would be my ideal place to find peace and comfort.

It may be true that there are places where we feel more at home; more at peace than other places. It is also true that we need to be able to find that peace within us -- no matter where we are.
Find a park.
Find a lake, a river, a small stream. 
Find a place to walk in the woods.
Go barefoot in the grass.
Or put in some noise cancelling earbuds with the sounds of the ocean or forest. 

However you do it -- find your peace everyday.
Connect to nature..
Experience the grandeur of the mountains.
Sense the peace of the ocean.
Listen to the sounds of the trees.
Feel the pulse of the earth.
Connecting with creation is how I connect to God.
This is my religion.

John