Refuge

As everyone knows, I think being snowed-in is, perhaps, the most delicious treat.

The snow is so quiet. Have you ever gone out in a remote area where there are layers of fresh snow? It is silent. The snow is the most perfect insulation from all noise. It feels like the world has actually stopped. There is no chaos. No sound. No distraction. Just snow.

I think I fell in love with snow (and Vermont) after my first excursion snow shoeing. Two of my best girls Rachel and Lynniare will attest that our snow shoeing was not all peaceful (there was some hysteria about frost bite, night fall and getting trapped/lost on a mountain); but there were these remarkably quiet moments, when no one was speaking and all around me was just snow.

Often, I try to visualize myself back on the side of Mount Mansfield, before the climb got too challenging, right in that moment of perfect peace. The snow was so high; that when I stood on it my head was in the tops of the trees. The climb-up was a struggle. The breaks between the climb were such a sweet reward; the only sound was my breath.

Linda Anderson, the creator of the Mom-to-Mom ministry, says we all need a refuge from overstuffed lives. Anderson says we need "connection amidst the chaos" and to find "islands of sanity and security."

That memory is a refuge from the chaos of my life. Somedays I take refuge in Chloe's laugh. Or when I dance to Cyndi Lauper with Lily. Or on my yoga mat. Or during late night talks with Mike. Or in the car with Pearl Jam blasting. These moments are the escape from chaos. These moments are my pause button. Sort of a mindful meditation amidst my very overstuffed life.


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