Live Virtual Group Session: 6PM EDT October 23rd 2023

4 Comments

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this session!

For this session we viewed the painting “Flight of the Swallows” by John Henry Lorimer, posted below.

Our prompt was: “The others were so excited but I…” 

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Please join us for our next session Monday October 30th at 6pm EDT, with more times listed on our Live Virtual Group Sessions.

The Flight of the Swallows – John Henry Lorimer (1856–1936)

4 thoughts on “Live Virtual Group Session: 6PM EDT October 23rd 2023”

  1. michele348's avatar michele348

    The others were excited, but I…

    It was a chilly morning in early November… a morning where you wore two layers to keep away the chill. The sun was just starting its ascent over the tree tops that covered Jack’s Mountain. A group of hikers had already started the “1000 Steps” climb up the side of the mountain. Yes, indeed, it was 1000-plus steps carved out of hand-hewn rocks placed by miners decades and decades ago. It was their means of traversing the mountain to work at their mining jobs. Now, “1000 Steps” serves as a test of hiking abilities for wanna-be mountain climbers. For me, it meant so much more.

    The first couple of hundred steps weren’t too bad… the knee and hips were still in good shape. The chill of the morning had created some residual icing on some of the rocks, so I had to be careful of where I placed my feet. I looked at the white pines that stood off to the side. Their branches swayed a little by the light breeze. Most of the maples and hickories had already lost their leaves and they were scattered all about my feet. Off in the distance, I heard the knocking sound of a pileated woodpecker thrusting its powerful beak against a tree trunk attempting to find its breakfast. I’m glad my breakfast had not been as difficult as what this woodpecker’s job sounded like.

    Each step/rock had its number painted on its surface so it was easy to keep account of how far you have climbed and how far was left for you to wrangle with. It wasn’t until step 800 that my knees started talking to me. I paused a few moments, took a deep breath, and made the decision to continue on rather than turn around.

    At one point I looked up the trail and it appeared to be a “stairways to heaven” … it looked like it went straight up vertically. But I was determined to finish the climb so I got myself back in motion. As I climbed over step 1000, a big smile was on my face and I let out a long exhale. The other hikers who had reached the summit before me were excited, but for me, it meant so much more. I had suffered a heart attack about a 1 1/2 yrs. earlier, so for me it meant that I had truly recovered and the “sky was the limit” as my doctor had told me when I had completed cardiac rehab. I rejoiced and thanked the Lord as I looked down to the valley below.

    Now… for the return trip DOWN Jack’s Mountain!

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  3. Elizabeth's avatar Elizabeth

    The others were so excited,
    But I was starting to feel the loss.
    I could not continue enjoying the time spent together
    Because of my anticipation of it’s ending.

    And isn’t this the way it quite often happens-
    It is very hard to stay present,
    While we are already “what iffing“ the future.

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    • michele348's avatar michele348

      Your words rang very true for me…a trip to visit a brother I hadn’t seen in a number of years… a very heart-warming visit. I was thinking to myself at the time would I get to see him again… slightly more than a year later he passed away.

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