To be a picture of health requires a happy frame of mind.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Proverbs 17:22
For most of my life, I’ve been a walker. A happy walker.
It started when I was a kid—we walked everywhere! I never thought about it because it was just what we did. Safer times then, I guess. We walked to and from school, usually with friends. I always walked to my friends’ homes. We walked blocks and blocks on Halloween. We lived near the center of town, so we regularly walked into town to pick up something from the grocery, drug, or hardware stores. Much to my parents’ chagrin, I often walked into town with my friends to hang out at the snack shop. Or we walked to the local park for some fun.
As young adults, we often chose activities that involved walking. We visited museums and exhibitions, walked all over Downtown Chicago, went to state parks, and, my favorite, went to the dunes along Lake Michigan. I adored walking along the lakeshore but climbing the dunes was a particular challenge and great fun.
Walking took on a special significance later in my adult life.
When I stopped drinking, I had to find something to substitute when the craving for a drink hit. I found three effective substitutes: ice-cold water, listening to classical music, and, best of all, going for walks.
I started out walking the streets of our quaint neighborhood, enjoying looking at all the different houses and landscaping. I’d walk for about 20 or 30 minutes, which seemed sufficient to distract me from my craving. I knew of a beautiful nature trail near my home, but I had never taken the time to check it out.
One day, not long after I’d stopped drinking, I was having lunch with my mother.
I’ve written two previous posts about my not-so-good relationship with my mom (Lord, Change Me? Part 1, and Lord, Change Me? Part 2), so having lunch with her was not easy for me. This day, I was determined to tell her about my problems with drinking and being an alcoholic. I wanted to make her aware that drinking was a problem in my family: my dad was an alcoholic, and my brother was too, but Mom merely ignored that.
As I told her about my discovery of my addiction to alcohol and how I could never have another drink again, she just looked blankly at me. When I finished and waited for her response, she took a bite of her food and then changed the subject as if I’d said nothing. I was stunned at first, but then, what did I expect? I always felt that she never listened to me. So I asked her, “Didn’t you hear what I just said about my being an alcoholic?” She replied, “Well, everybody drinks. You’re just blowing this out of proportion.”
I was fuming inside, and I couldn’t wait for our lunch to end.
I exploded with anger when I got in my car to drive home. What was I going to do with all this anger? Boy, did I want a drink! Fortunately, I focused enough to think about my alternatives to drinking, and I thought this would be an excellent time to visit that nature trail near my home.
It was a 3-mile path created in the forest preserves around a public golf course that was also there. Because it went around the golf course, it was a huge, 3-mile circle. I parked the car and started on the path, walking briskly to get rid of the anger still inside me. Walking along the winding path through the trees and flowers, I calmed down. I slowed my pace and observed what was around me: a variety of beautiful green trees with wildflowers winding their way along the path. The day was sunny and warm but cool under the trees. I took several deep breaths and enjoyed the fragrances my senses took in. Peace was on me. I strolled along this 3-mile path, taking in all my senses would allow. Anger had left me.
At that moment, I knew walking this path had to be a part of my recovery.
The combination of movement and the beauty of nature had worked a miracle for me. I had never felt my anger dissipate so quickly and completely as it did on that walk. I made walking on that path a daily habit. It felt incredibly healing. I often talked to myself as I walked along. If something bothered me, I’d talk it through to see if I could resolve things. Frequently, I just vented when something was wrong. But best of all, I talked with God as I walked along, admiring His beautiful creation. I felt it was just Him and me, and I poured my heart out. Often, I felt Him respond to the cries of my heart. The path became my meeting place with God and a huge factor in my recovery from drinking.
Walking remained an almost daily habit for me for years. When we had to move to a new town, I prayed that God would provide a home in a safe and pleasant neighborhood where to walk. Better yet, I asked Him to provide a beautiful nature trail like the one I was walking. And He did provide! Our new home was in a lovely neighborhood, and right across the street from our new home was an entrance to the Illinois Prairie Path, over 60 miles of trails through the forest preserves. I trained to walk a 5K and then a half-marathon on that path. It was life-giving to me.
These days I really miss walking.
Following my back surgery, I’m learning to walk all over again. I did not realize how much the back muscles are involved in walking! Many of the muscles in my back were displaced to perform the spine surgery, so they are mending and feeling weak. Though the pain has diminished, it still hurts quite a bit when I walk. I’m waiting for them to heal and exercising to help make them strong again.
There are several nature trails within driving distance from our current home, and our neighborhood is a lovely place to walk. They’re calling me, and I am chomping at the bit to get out there and walk again! For me, walking is life!
