peaceful places

bear meadows

this one's for j-nice

healing garden at the cancer center at MGH

as i downloaded the photos from my camera this afternoon i could hardly believe the first and last pictures were separated by less than a week's time. it feels as though a month could have passed, for all that has been on my mind and all i've been through emotionally.

i'm really fortunate because i find time in my life for people and places that make me happy. last weekend i got to spend time with kj and carolyne. even though we haven't seen each other very often in the past few years, it feels as though time falls away and we're right where we left off despite the distance and immense happenings in each of our lives. i loved hanging out with them at one of my most favorite places - bear meadows in rothrock state forest. i spent a lot of time there during the summer of 2007, after my radiation treatments had been completed and as my body slowly healed. i can sit for hours and watch the sky or the water change as the mountains frame them. it meant so much to be back in that place once again, only this time with two friends for which the spot holds a special place in their hearts, too. the sun was bright and even though it was a little cool, it was refreshing.

i rarely expect to find places of such peace in the middle of cities, but i know they exist. this week i was lucky enough to find it right at the hospital. there, on the 8th floor of the yawkey building, i found the healing garden. it is an outdoor space full of green grass, trees, and tremendous views of the charles river and downtown boston. it is landscaped beautifully and there are a few places to sit in chairs in the shade, or spend some time in the sun. mom and i spent an hour there after my appointment, before i returned for a final blood test. there was a body-sized piece of granite in the middle of the grassy area, and i allowed myself the chance to lay out in the sun and warm myself there. to open my eyes and see i was eight stories off the ground at a hospital was a lesson in suspending belief. i completely expected to see a sunny beach. it is one of the most relaxing places i've ever been. i was completely mellowed out. i can't wait to go back on another sunny day.

i carry these places with me as i move along. it is reassuring to know they are there, the old familiar places, and it is also reassuing to know there's always a chance of finding another place to heal my body and soul a bit. it makes last week's good news even better. and that's what's motivating me this week.