Mountain Sanctuary
Yesterday a friend and I went down to Charleston, South Carolina, to pick up my children. My two teenagers had been away for a week and a half with some dear friends while a movie was being filmed in our location. I was ready to have them back home. I also love to visit Charleston. The downtown reminds me of Old San Juan with the historic-colorful-adorn homes. Walking it brings me great nostalgia. It is a romantic city and one I hope to return time and time again. Charleston is the Asheville of the East.This afternoon we returned home. The four hour car ride always brings time for contemplation and reflection. The moment I reach the Blue Ridge Mountain silhouette and skyline, my spirit enters a place that words cannot express. There is a sense of open air and relief. I love the mountains. No matter how far I travel, returning here is an immediate sense of peace. There is a knowing that immediately whispers, “You are home. You are free. You are nature and harmony.”I expressed to my dear friend, who is now moving to the area, how much I love this place. He completely understood because he feels the same way. There is breathing room. There is a space of infinite openness and grounding. Just seeing the ridges in the distance puts me in a place of giddiness and excitement. Even less than 36 hours later, I feel like I’ve been gone for a week. Just like Dorothy, “There is no place like home.”
The best feeling in life is finding a sanctuary to truly call home. Our place is my Heaven while in this life. I love experiencing and visiting other places. I love to travel. But, I live in a permanent vacation. Life is so sweet up on this mountain. Creativity flows, clarity visits and nature energizes my spirit. This is not something I take for granted. I know it is a blessing from the Divine. I am also aware that to arrive to this place of peace I’ve had to release and surrender. The lessons learned have been fundamental and painful at times. I’ve had to let go of the material world. I have less than I’ve ever had in my life, yet I am richer beyond imagination. I have found the fountain of youth, Shangri-La, and the Mist of Avalon. I live in fairytale land.Our friends in South Carolina took us to Botany Bay by the coast. It was closed yesterday but the entrance to this beach was spectacular. The trees (shown in picture) intertwine with each other. They are arms and fingers of leaves and branches joining in creation. It is a magical canopy. And, just like that particular path, I feel these mountains have intertwined and created a canopy of mysticism and magic for us to live in. This small space has become therapy, love, peace and most of all…faith. I have found the place that houses my spirit. It is better than I could have ever imagined.