I walked in a wooded area near my home today for the first time in quite a while.

It’s late fall. It’s past the point at which a person can walk in the woods and be amazed by the majestic beauty of the changing leaves. Now, most of the leaves are fallen and dead, the trees are becoming bare, and the air has a slight chill. It’s at the time of the clear indicators that winter is coming.

In past years walking in late fall has left me with a kind of sadness – a regret that I hadn’t gone walking as much as I’d hoped and/or an unsettling nervousness about uncomfortable weather on the way.

I wasn’t overwhelmed by those feelings today – instead I felt unusually calm. That seems to be because of my stage in life right now. I’m not young, but I’m not extremely old either. I have many good things in my life to be grateful for. I probably have many more years ahead, but even if not, I’ve had some very good ones up to this point.

There are some difficult circumstances occurring in my life right now. I intend to face them courageously, peacefully, and with the knowledge that better times are coming sooner or later.