GREAT Hike this Morning

I have only been to my favorite hiking spot once since my diagnosis.  When I woke up I jumped up and got ready to go without even thinking twice about it.  And it was so awesome!  First off, I stopped to take a photo of a row of sunflowers and the path ahead of me.  You can just see a gentleman and his two dogs in the photo.  Their names were Maynard, Shadow, and Tim.  I was feeling a bit emotional, wiping away a tear as we got to close to one another.  I said "good morning" and he did as well.  One of us said it was a beautiful morning.  I said, "this is my first hike up here since my first chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, so it's pretty special to me."  After that we just had an honest conversation about ourselves.  Clearly, I wear my heart on my sleeve and poured out my challenges of late.  I said he probably didn't expect that kind of encounter this morning and he said "everything happens for a reason."  We talked about spirituality and how important it is to life.  Before we departed he said, "say hi to God."  It was awesome!

 A complete reverse from hearing "are you terminal" yesterday.  God is good and I believe he intentionally sent Tim in my path today.  I hiked along at a much slower pace than I did when I was "working out."  Today certainly felt like a work out since I haven't been able to walk for so long - BUT IT WAS AWESOME.  I took time to stop and take many photos.  I sat on a rock and took my hat off and just soaked up the sun.  It did wonders for my spirit.

Here's a photo I took of my shoes.  I'm trying to eloquently express how I feel about the photo.  I'm on this journey with the support of family, friends, and the oncology team, but it's strong legs that will be with me each step of the way.  I am just beyond happy to have had the energy to go and walk this morning.  I actually tried to run a tiny bit, but reminded myself to take it easy and just enjoy the beauty of the nature around me.

My final photo is another of many I took, but it turned out so incredibly I also wanted to share.  It's a sunflower that just looks to be glowing.  It is now the wallpaper on my phone as a memento from such a wonderfully uplifting morning.  And the day is just getting started!

A gift from above.