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by Jan Holmes |
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It is the last, 'Peace of Mind ', that I chose and it is the one that, when experienced, is easiest to share. In 1995, John (my husband) and I were invited to experience one of the Creator 's most magnificent works. We were, at the time, unaware that it was also referred to as one of the most grueling treks in North America. It doesn't sound very peaceful and, in fact, the West Coast Trail has been described as "47 miles, or 77 kilometres, along some of the wildest coastline in the world ". This trail, from Port Renfrew to Bamfield on Vancouver Island 's southwest coastline, is described in Ian Gill 's book, "Hiking on the Edge " as "a necklace strung with matchless jewels of soaring sea stacks of timeworn rock, primeval rainforest, abundant wildlife, matchless coves, beaches, bays, rivers, waterfalls, rock ledges, caves, and tidal pools." For seven days, we experienced the beautiful, wild, thundering ocean sprays on one side of us, mixed with the calm serenity of the largely undisturbed, rainforest on the other. We camped and trekked in two days of pouring rain, steady drizzle, soaked socks slightly dried by bonfires, followed by five magnificent sunny days and starry, moon lit nights. We learned so much about staying safe, staying alive while crossing roaring tidal surges, observing life in small tidal pools left behind by the retreating tide and how to use the simple, lifesaving 'carabineer '. 13/01/2009 04:19 PM |
This was my first week-long experience of hiking and I often had flashbacks of that first sign at the Park Warden 's office that warned, "This is not a walk in the park ... For experienced hikers only ". One might wonder 'where lies the peace in this '? It was the chance however, to take stock of the important things in life - the roar of the Pacific and the sting of the salty surf that symbolized the busy-ness of life. The peaceful quiet side of life is compared to the sweetness of the rainforest, the home of the hundreds of pairs of eyes watching as we crossed ponds on fallen trees and got ourselves stuck in knee-high mud, knowing there would be no warm, bathtub soak at the end of the day. It was a chance for me to discover something new ... about me, about inner strengths, about appreciation of those in my life and my contribution to this chance at a life, about the good health often taken for granted and the peace to be found in simply losing oneself in nature. "In every walk, one receives far more than one seeks; where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul " Since that time, I have experienced the overwhelming warmth and peaceful state of tranquility, such as holding a new-born grandchild for the first time. In my search, I found several quotes that related to 'peace ' ... Mosche Dayan - "If you want to make peace, you don 't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. " Thomas Kempis - "First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. Martin Lutheran King Jr. -"True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice. " Jimi Hendrix - "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace. " A.J. Muste - "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way. " Mother Teresa - "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. " Enjoy this wonderful season as we celebrate, again, the arrival of the Prince of Peace! |
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