The beauty that you see

It’s 2 weeks into retirement, and I still feel like I will wake up from a dream any minute now. It is somewhat surreal to look out the window, in the middle of the afternoon, and realize that you don’t have to go to work tomorrow morning. The result is that the body just seems to relax, and the day slows down.

Stop to smell the roses, as they say

And as things slow down, there are moments when you can just look at the world around you and smile in wonder at the imperfect perfection. Enjoying the beauty of a foggy mountain morning. Seeing the sun, hidden behind the fog, and the dark colours that signal the change from fall to winter. It has a kind of strange comforting feeling as you walk.

Mountains, as majestic as they seem

The mountains have a beauty that is truly hard to describe. A remarkable picture created by nature. Because, no matter the season, the mountains offer a different view each and every time you see them. The fall changes in the mountains are subtle. Golden larch trees among the pines, a first snow on the mountain peaks. But it’s the small things, the change in the temperature, the smell of the leaves, that really highlight the beauty.

Slowing down is good. It allows the mind and body a chance to rest. Sure there are things to do, but there is no schedule. It’s my time. So I just breathe it all in.