The Ramblings of a Redhead

This morning I sit quietly watching the first few rays of sunlight starting to filter into my room. My mind is still, as nothing of the day has yet invaded the peace. Dreams from the night continue to echo in soft images, but they are slowly fading away soon to be forever lost to memory. I find my thoughts drifting to the day ahead - a blank canvas upon which we can paint anything and everything we want, an empty page to write or draw on, an empty space to dance in, a map to follow to an unknown adventure. A day filled with complexities and simplicities not to be missed. The day beckons each of us to its unknown future. Today is the day. Good morning.

Woke up this morning to the gentle sound of that teasing autumn breeze outside my window. The sun had yet to come up so my room was still dark. My curtains swayed lazily back and forth in a graceful dance. Every now and then a bird would chirp adding to the already peaceful chorus. I listened as the wind rolled through leaves, and in that moment while the rest of the world seemed to be sleeping, I had this gift all to myself. A moment to just be. To breathe. To remember. To thank. To dream. To hope. To pray. Life can become so busy and overwhelming that these moments are easy to forget, and the importance of being still slips from our thoughts. Take a moment today to stop and remember the small things. Smile at a stranger. Speak life and encouragement into the lives you come into contact with. Stop and watch the steam spiral up from your hot cup of coffee (or tea or hot chocolate). Remember the dreams that have been instilled in you. Take that first step. Pick up the book you've be

Adventure tugs on the strings of our soul (not the surface strings, but the strings that are hidden deep within our very essence) - urging, begging us to listen to it. It stokes the fires of dreams, desires, passions, and curiosities. It begs us to take wing and fly to the highest heights. It causes us to become restless, curious, and perhaps, if we are completely honest with ourselves, even a wee bit reckless... However, the anchors of reality and responsibility also have a very tight hold on us, and sometimes it feels like their only purpose is to slam us back down to the cold hard ground. We feel the weight of them growing always heavier, dragging us downwards until we feel like it's trying to crush our wings, and yet, even under all the weight, our hearts still long to soar high above the clouds always searching for that same life giving spark we once experienced when adventure first gave us our wings. While reality is important to keep us somewhat grounded, we have to be so c