Feeding My Soul

When I saw the online photos of Lied Lodge, I knew I would travel to Nebraska. It looked like a tree-lover’s paradise to really relax, and it had to be cooler than in Louisiana in July. It was all that and more. When I arrived, the sky was clear and cool, and Omaha was beautiful (with no unsightly poles or telephone lines). My helpful driver offered a detailed history of the state, city, Arbor Day Farm, the Morton family, crops and rivers. When I spotted a peregrine falcon on the Platt River, driver-Dave mentioned that a bird expert visited Arbor Day Farm every morning and that maybe I could join him. Sure enough, the ornithologist, Dr. Larry Faulk, and I spent a delightful two hours spotting twenty-seven species the next day. All this and T’ai Chi Chih too? Had I won the lottery?

The feeling of gratitude became the theme of my conference experience. I was grateful to see everyone, to share a room with my teacher and friend, Caroline Guillot, and to make new friends. I am grateful for good teaching tips, for Sandy’s help with Passing Clouds, for darling T-shirts and other items purchased in the vendor room. I am grateful for the huge wall of windows looking out on the forest as we did our practice, as well as the rain, sun and cool weather. I was especially grateful to see fireflies again. I am also grateful to Justin for his video talk and to a place that had an arboretum in its parking lot. The spiritual retreat was just what I needed to feed my soul.

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