There and Back Again

I went for a run in the park today. At one point, a squirrel broke out of the bushes on the side of the trail and started to scurry across the path. It crossed just a few feet in front of me, and then, sensing that there could be danger, it ran back across and into the bushes from which it had come. This really got me wondering. The squirrel had already made it across my path...it actually put itself in more danger by crossing in front of me again to go back. How often do we do this? We use our instinct, following our hearts and pursuing our dreams, when we sense what we think may be danger. We immediately think that the way to safety is to go back...to stop who we are becoming and go back to who we were. Why do we never realize that there can be safety in forging on and moving forward?

Something else that I noticed on my run was how beautiful everything was. Of course the trees were beautiful, swaying in the breeze and glowing green from the sunlight. But there was beauty in the decaying remains of a fallen tree too. The brown spotted leaves of one tree may have appeared to be a blemish on the beauty of the woods at first glance, but, on closer inspection, I saw the miraculously intricate web of a spider spun amongst the leaves. This got me to thinking about the interconnectedness of everything and spun the following poem from the gossamer of my thoughts:

World Wide Web

The world is a web through which we're connected

Through the action of one we are all affected

You can not escape, struggle as you might

This web which you are in holds on too tight

Yet its embrace is soft and gentle as a kiss

To be connected thus, can bring true bliss

There's no poison bite, no venomous sting

Coursing through this web, love is the thing

Loving yourself is most important of all

Don't feel insignificant, don't feel small

For when you give yourself love, it radiates out

Starts as a whisper and builds to a shout

Its ripples are felt all the way to infinity

It reminds us all to reach for our divinity

So always remember, treat yourself with respect

Be mindful of others, for we all connect

Each action you take across the web will disperse

And impact us all, for better or worse