August 26
Mist hovered over the field like a soft blanket being gently lifted to awaken the blades of grass, the jewelweed, and the sweet autumn clematis. The chipmunks, brown thrashers, and robins energetically embraced another day of sunshine for exploration, for living. My early morning walks now have a serenity to them; fewer people are there in the early morning hours and I can take advantage of the peace before they show up in droves.
The variety of leaves throughout the park are arrayed with dew; they shimmer in the wisps of sunlight and slowly the water drips from them, a drop lingering on each point before it ultimately falls and nearly evaporates before it hits the ground. As I stood under an evergreen to snap a photo to capture the natural phenomenon before it disintegrated, I felt a slight shower, a mist, brushing my head, my nose, and trickly to my arms.
When the sun’s rays peek through the bows of the trees and tap the condensation, the woods sparkle. It is then I realize how refreshing a walk, not long after the sun rises, is to the mind, the spirit. Before the heat of the day sets in and the air is cool and crisp, it offers a glimpse into the coming season.
While dew has a plethora of health benefits for plants—acting as a coolant, giving plants needed water and regulating it—there are health advantages for us. A notable one is that it helps to remove toxins from our bodies. Our environment is full of poison, and there is only so much we can do to protect ourselves from its harmful effects. Even walking in the park, which should provide natural oxygen from the plants and trees, has a lingering invisible cloud of contaminants from what rises into the atmosphere, whether from automobiles, factories, or the cigarettes and cigars people insist on smoking despite the “no smoking allowed” signs.
While I cannot vouch for my detoxification in this one morning walk, I did feel more refreshed with my jaunt. Perhaps my next few morning walks, through the dewy paths and lush trees, will flush out any toxins that have found their way into me. And it is possible the morning freshness will help me enjoy my walks more.
Extricating myself from my space at home has been good for me. Observing the world and creation with a wider lens reminds me to step outside of myself and expand my point of view. I don’t usually see the mist around my home and so without my walk, especially on this morning, the mist is something I might not consider or would even ignore if not for the vast scene before me on this particular day. I experience dew in my garden as a mere wetness to the earth. Seeing it from an expansive perspective is a way to reflect on what is otherwise considered trivial.
The birds, whether from my own yard or in the park, remind me that there is a larger space. They have a unique vantage point from above. As they soar through the air, do they touch the clouds?
I wonder what it is like for them to fly through the mist?
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