The Unflappable Joy Of The Wild

I saw this magnificent bird yesterday. To be fair, I have seen grey herons before but have never been within six feet of one. We stared at each other for a few heartbeats, trying to determine if the other was a threat. Then deciding I was harmless, it turned away and continued to watch for fish in the river.

There is something inherently transcendent about coming face-to-face with a creature in the wild. I was awestruck by its beauty, by its majesty. I was grateful that it had allowed me to get so close, to share its space while still respecting boundaries. I sat with it for a while, taking in its stillness. It was as if the rest of the world had fallen away and all that existed was my breath and the heron and the tranquility of the moment.

It was like communing with something divine.