As we stood on the edge of the narrow ridge and took in the view 4000 feet down into Kalalau Valley, and out to the ocean beyond, a moment of stillness and absolute silence washed over me.  For a few minutes the cool wind that had been blowing stopped, and not even the rustle of a single leaf could be heard.  I realized this was the first time in what seemed like a long time, that I had been immersed in a place in nature that was completely still.  That few minutes of silence felt utterly soothing to my soul. 

In that brief moment I realized the value of stillness and how little of that can be found in our modern world.  We human beings are faced with life’s challenges as well as the incessant chatter of the thinking mind, no matter where we choose to reside.  Living on the paradisical island that is Kauai – where we are blessed to live – is no exception to this.  We are just incredibly privileged to have a variety of natural places in which to spend time ‘defragging’ our minds and rejuvenating our bodies, in a more relaxed environment than perhaps a city. 

My husband and I had set aside the afternoon to hike and ‘defrag’ ourselves.  It had been a busy previous 12 months or more and we had certainly had our share of stressful life circumstances that meant that we truly cherished our time spent together in nature.  On those precious days where we make time just to be with each other – and just to be – we will sometimes wake in the morning and decide where we will go quite spontaneously, and that always leads us to some rewarding and beautiful experience in nature.

Driving up the steep mountain range to Kokee that winter’s day, we had allowed that spontaneity to guide us and we both had felt drawn to a hike that is off the beaten tourist trail and overlooks Kalalau Valley.  This was one of our favorite hikes to do together, and in fact right on a far spine of the ridge before it drops into the valley, perched over the edge, is where my wonderful husband had proposed to me many months before.

As the orange setting sun streamed through an opening in the clouds and touched us with its warmth, the stillness I felt also warmed my heart.

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