With all the troublesome things jumping and nipping at your heels and begging for attention,

When was the last time you unveiled your inner mind to the splendor of nature that surrounds you wherever you are?

Achieving such feat of inner peace may seem far fetched with the constant deluge of horrendous happenings occurring at such rapid pace.

Its almost impossible to keep up and it seems to have our heads spinning in an unending tizzy.

Today has been one of those days. Between the constant alert of anticipated flash flood in neighboring counties and watching the mangled bits and pieces of the derailed Amtrak train; the faces of loss, pain and grief; I had to pause to ask myself..

If this were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am doing now?

What matters most in my life?

Am I holding on to somethings that I should let go of right now?

What am I doing about those things that matter most in my life?

Thus continued the nagging questions in my mind, with no immediate answers at hand.

I mute the television, I take a peek out of the window, I lace up my dirty sneakers and I walk to my favorite park.

The weather is mild and airy. The Earth still wet from the sprinkles of rain shower, which clung to plant leaves and flower petals like a lover reluctant to let go.

Taking those springy steps and inhaling deeply of the fresh earthy smell which is given off by the rain, I try to reconnect with the inner me. I think its a time just to be.

The park maintenance staff are quite engaged, replanting, mowing the grass, pruning and trimming the overgrown shrubbery.

The beautiful arrays of blooming flowers are indeed a good sight to cheer up a dampened spirit.

The fragrant mixed blend of fresh cut shrubs, of flowers and turned wet soil assailed my nostrils in a very pleasant manner.

I chat randomly with one of the workers, asking some questions about the plants. He was very willing to part with his knowledge at a little cost of a simple hello.

I decided there and then to try my hands at gardening. Who knows? I might turn out to have green fingers. Besides, I hear that there is something refreshing about nurturing a plant and seeing it grow.

I see the cautious old lady and her little dog. She offered a smile as we cross each other on the second turn across the park.

I take note of the much older gentleman who slowly sprints past me; I must be as slow as a slug,

I watch the squirrels darting back and forth in careless abandon,

I observe firsthand a bird fighting a poor squiggly earthworm to the finish,

I listen briefly as I pass a young mother pushing her little ones in a double buggy, she was humming a tune,

A sliver of sun breaks through the clouds, as I make my way back to the house,

Its a good day, I said to myself.

I am just happy to be.