Healthy Living

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WALK YOUR CARES AWAY


No matter the weather -- be it hot, humid, cloudy, rainy, windy or cold -- I love to be outdoors.

Life just seems easier to handle when I get outside the confining walls. I love feelin’ free, surrounded by lots of open space, the sky above me, and the earth beneath my feet.

As soon as I get home from work, I can hardly get into my walking clothes fast enough.

Leaving the stress and tension of the day as easily and as fast as I can get into a change of clothes and head outdoors seem to be second nature.

Thankful that my 8-5 workday is over, the real me begins to emerge.

I suppose you fishin’ and golfin’ guys and gals know exactly how I feel. There’s just something invigorating about being outdoors.

I’m a country girl, but presently, I’m livin’ in the city.

I’ve discovered that there is beauty in the city, too. You don’t even have to look far to find it.

On one of my evening excursions, I saw three deer meandering along the railroad tracks down by the river.

They didn’t seem to know they were in the city as they headed up the bank toward the Rescue Squad. Perhaps they were considering bedding down for the night on the tree-laden slope.

One drizzly, cloudy evening as I was walking across the bridge, a rainbow peeked through the gloomy sky. A glorious sunset captured my attention on the west side of
town, when I suddenly beheld the rainbow to the east. It began as only a sliver of color, but it was there nonetheless. The stormy clouds in the east sought to conceal it. My eyes feasted on the lovely contrast as it stretched across the sky.

I felt like a little girl and so much wanted to skip across the bridge. I controlled my enthusiasm, but on the inside I was skipping.

I don’t really know why I held the joy captive. I mean, who cares who might see? Live a little! Cut loose and let the joy of living be seen! If that’s being a fool, then a fool I’ll be! Happy and F-R-E-E!


After carrying around the weight of stress that the workday can bring, why be ashamed to show it when you feel good? You see so many people walking around with their troubles on their faces, so blinded by their cares that they can’t see what’s around them.

Some days I’m like that, too. But, no matter how down I feel, or how busy I am, I take the time to do what I love.

In fact, the busier I am and the less time it seems that I have, the more I am committed to taking the time to cast off my cares long enough to take a brisk jaunt around town.

In doing so, things seem to be not as important as I thought they were and I handle them better. The tension eases from my mind and body. The mountain becomes a molehill.

I sort out my thoughts as I walk and I pray about many things and for many people.

I pray for our nation and our president. I pray for my family, our soldiers, my friends and my co-workers. We all need prayer!

We’re all in this (life) together and yet we pull each other apart. I pray for the people I pass as I walk. I think of those who are homebound and cannot get out to walk and enjoy the fresh air.

I thank God for the health that I have. So, if you’re driving downtown one day and see an older lady skipping down the road, it’s just me -- feelin’ like a little girl inside, enjoying my surroundings and the freedom I have. It’s my life and I’ll skip if I want to! (Smile)

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