Something Sacred

There are moments in my life where I feel I've come face to face with the sacred. For me it's not usually in a church setting.....more often it is somewhere in the great outdoors.

Dave and I spent two years living on our sailboat, Connemara...cruising from the Chesapeake Bay to the Bahamas, then up to Maine, back down to Key West and finally ending our adventure back in the Chesapeake. There were times at anchor....by ourselves, quiet waters, huge blue sky or star filled nights when I felt a connection.....a spirit. An appreciation of how tiny I was in such an incredibly huge universe.

Today our morning in New Mexico provided a similar kind of experience. We drove northwest from Santa Fe to The Bandelier National Monument. Our guide book stated this was one of "New Mexico's most atmospheric sites." We simply chose it because there was a paved road all the way to the visitors' center, we could hike for a couple hours, see a lot of "stuff" and leave our dog in the car.

I was not prepared for the awe-inspiring experience waiting around the corner. The towering cliff sides, the color of the rocks, the hundreds of cave dwellings carved into the rocks, the community left behind by our ancient neighbors. As we walked the trail and climbed the ladders to peek inside the past it was so fascinating to imagine how the men and women and children lived their lives in this pueblo. They were one with their surroundings.....one with nature....one with their creator. They respected and honored this place......and I hope I have a small understanding of why and a huge respect for them and their story.