"The Gift Of Experiences..."

Most of us bestow things upon one another during this season of giving... I have often mused, and written about here, over the nature of another kind of offering... This is a deeper kind of present for another, or as an endowment maybe for ourselves, which holds out such potent and significant meanings...

Remember... what you felt so strongly during that river rafting trip; recall the energy and emotions when out on those trails of your favorite hikes; think for a moment about when you were sea kayaking to that coastal island you were sure no one had ever set foot upon...

Feel again those same sensations, that enchanting sense of wonder, when you attained that very first summit; go back and relive that special time when a certain spirit animal appeared in the trees before you, just when you needed it so...

All of these knowings, and so many more from out there, are the gifts of adventure experiences. These are the gifts that the wild places wrap up for each of us, that we give ourselves too when we head out, that we also present to others in so many shared ways - the gift of experiences...

So, remember too, that canyoneering day when you pushed so hard to get beyond yourself; that very long rappel into the the mists so memorable; the times lowering into the depths of those caves so dark and yet so illuminating... all are also such potent and powerful gifts of experiences...

We do give one another, and ourselves, such nice things at times - yet a gift of experience holds another level of enduring beauty within it...

That which we experience out there, and then weave into our experiences back here, are truly meaningful offerings - of smiles and laughter, of challenges and effort, of sunshine and tears - these are bestowed upon us through journeys within the wild places... They become branded in our memories; they touch us in our very hearts; and they are always there to further inspire our spirits... Such life defining moments we meet with and undergo out there, regardless of when solo or those shared in fellowship, is what is really at the end of any rainbow. Then if we pass forward these adventure experiences, they then become a gift twice given... and that is a beautiful experience too...

So, in the spirit of this season of sharing and giving, do I wish for you Dear Friends, Dear Finders, that the gift of experiences becomes a bountiful cherished present within your lives...

DSD