baby steps to a grand day

one of my favoritest things in the world are long long walks. whether it's with people i love or it's just me and my thoughts, i love walking. naturally, i prefer doing it across green, flower laden meadows or under large trees or along a seldom-used trail that cuts across a little creek. but when company's real good or when the solitude urges, i don't mind navigating the busy, noisy, smoggy streets of the city.

a few months back, i discovered a way to make every day wonderful. starting it with prayer and a longish walk under a still-starry sky. every day, my dogs (and at times, other welcome companions) join me for a one-to-two-hour walk. it's lots of fun. coming across people who you greet, "maayong buntag" or calling back the pooch that's straying too far or just pausing under a streetlamp.

my favorite part is stopping by an open field to watch the sun rising and slowly coloring up the clouds and everything else. it's one of the most wonderful sights in the entire world.

i come home from these walks fulfilled and energized.

the dullness of these past days i've come to blame on the failure to get my legs tired in the process of watching night turn to day.

just the other day, i wanted so much to take a morning walk. but things came up, and it was a cold morning. so i missed the sunrise once again.

but just as i thought i missed the way to a grand day, i found myself in the home of one-year old Baby Angel who was just learning to walk by herself. for about thirty minutes, her small fingers clasped mine and we took the smallest of steps back and forth across their living room.

i so loved the way she felt light and heavy at the same time. and i just adore the way she "bangs" on her mother's bedroom door and calls, "momeee." and there's so much to be said about sitting alone with her in her uncle's bedroom floor, playing with her grandmother's left slipper.

not that i want to miss every single sunrise for this, but it's safe to say that the deviation from the usual was a really good one. and my day turned out to be just as grand.

baby Angel and her uncle in a morning stretch at the camp site last month

and speaking of babies and walks, my four-legged morning walk companions are going to have puppies soon soon soon. :)

and and and, this afternoon i found this piece of music that reminds me of my much-missed morning walks. (am not too sure about the video, but i like the song. :) )