A blog on Peace after violence

I am lucky to live a short distance from Banff National Park, one of Canada’s most beautiful natural areas. Along with jaw-dropping scenery, Banff offers great hiking trails that lead to places many only discover through a Google search. I count my blessings every day, especially because hiking always brings me peace. On this particular day, I was dealing with a health scare. I put on my boots, charged the car, and headed off toward the longest walk I could do on my own within an hour’s drive: Lake Louise to Victoria Glacier.

The pictures I have posted here are in reverse order. They go from the destination to the beginning. Sometimes, stories are better told with the destination in the foreground.

Glaciers are fascinating. Ancient forgers of Earth, complexly geological, and continuously in flux. They resemble the essence within each of us. Over many seasons and through numerous hardships, this essence helps carve us into the person we are. It also guides us toward the person we are to become. During difficult times, it helps to connect with my inner essence. I put it in the forefront. I remember that my path is part of a magnificent whole. It is full of magic, even as I meander through the rockiest of sections.

As I headed back toward the bustle surrounding Lake Louise’s famous Chateau, I no longer felt heavy. My health scare was still very much a thing, but it wasn’t the main thing. I could breathe again. The world was less scary. My problems had shrunk. Strangers were interesting again. Life was as beautiful as always. My hike had helped me redefine chaos as no more than a detail within a magical whole.

Victoria Glacier empties into Lake Louise, as it prepares for its winter expansion. Exhale … inhale … exhale … inhale. The chaos presented by global warming is absolute, yet, meanwhile, Victoria Glacier remains in its magic.

Peace. Paix. 平和.

Thank you, Victoria Glacier 🩵❤️‍🩹🩵