I love Treasures!

My idea of a treasure is unconventional...a friendly gesture, a captured moment, beauty just lurking. These things, I pause to appreciate and feel enriched by every day. This blog will be a trove of treasures we choose to share with each other!Please join me in the pursuit of everyday treasure!
~B

Friday, August 12, 2011

Natural Treasures! Life, Time & Balance.

As we do every summer, my family embarked on a super family adventure that lasted 3 weeks. To mix things up a bit, my husband and I joined a few couples to explore Utah's Zion National Park. (Without the kids!!!) We pushed ourselves harder than anticipated in order to experience the park's grandeur in 3 full days. The "easy" hikes certainly left more to desire. The individuals who didn't respect the boundaries set by Park Rangers, noise, litter and graffiti were disappointing and distracting. The thrill came from the strenuous hikes. We managed to land ourselves at the tippy top of Angel's Landing and also tackled the entire Narrows hike on two separate days.
The parts I will return to are those where few others dared to go. The beauty was not only enjoyed visually, but physically as well. The quiet, outer limits were dramatic yet peaceful. After climbing 1,035 feet to Angel's Landing, named by the Mormons who believed that only an Angel would be able to land on it, we noticed that even the squirrels and chipmunks traveled carefully and closely to the ground. We stood at the top with wind blowing at our bodies as if we were foreign objects on the land but we heard falcons playing in the updrafts without even noticing our presence. The adventurists who travelled there as early as we did, stared in awe, and spoke in whispers. The 360 degree view was a lot to take in. I leaned into the nearest tree to keep my knees from buckling when I looked back at the 8 foot wide natural bridge that I hiked across to reach the landing itself. The hike down was almost scarier as we had to navigate around latecomers and our bodies were already in a downward movement. I imagined myself rolling down with the tiny rocks that fell with each of my steps like a cartoon snowball. It turns out that some poor hiker fell off of that same path the following day!
In the Narrows, we were alone except for a darling group of boy scouts who we saw only about 5 times. Butterflies would land on our clothing making me feel noticed and welcomed, frogs looked like granite carvings found in floral shops and the sound of rocks rolling under water could be heard through the bottoms of our feet. Wading through the virgin river, we were insignificant compared to the 3,000 foot sheer walls of sedimentary rock that surrounded us and the thousands of gallons of water rushing down to Lake Mead. We felt compelled to explore this temple-like treasure, not affecting it by our visit. We walked carefully though our heads were on a constant swivel, and our eyes were taking everything in. Each step was different. I stopped a number of times just to place my hand on these massive rocks. I heard the moans and sighs that the Indians spoke of as the wind swept through the caves and crevasses. Sadly, none of our photos do the place any justice. I will take my boys there someday. We'll arrange to camp inside overnight so that we can enjoy the hike without worrying about catching the last shuttle out of the park! (& so that I can listen to the sound of it all a bit longer.)
Our vacation led us back through Las Vegas, where we would board our plane to go back to California. We decided to go down the strip and were dumbfounded by the fake-ness of it all. The lights, smells, sounds and filth were agitating and annoying in contrast to our trip to Zion. We decided to turn in our rental car early and went to the airport 4 hours ahead of schedule, to wait for our plane in silence.
Two days later, we landed with our children in Honolulu. (home for me) The warm, soft air and my dad welcomed us with their embraces. The fragrant flower leis around our necks brought memories of weddings, birthdays, funerals, graduations and luaus right back to me. I am always comforted by the drive to my childhood home, through the Pali. I love to put my hand out the window to feel the soft rain and cloudy air that hangs low in Nuuanu. Like Jurassic park, my boys search for dinosaurs or gorillas in the jungle, outside their windows. If a beast were living in Hawaii, it surely would be there!!! We made it down to Lanikai beach by 2:00, and the water calmed us in an exhilarating way, though I was saddened by the number of people and plastic bits on the pure, white sandy beach. The smell of cigarette smoke and lack of privacy on what used to be a secluded beach, made my brow furrow. I relaxed and smiled as I watched a crab run out of its hole to grab a man-o-war that my son had placed there for him to eat. (At least my kids get it!) My boys are well adapted to the island life. In no time, they were running a successful lemonade stand and hanging out with neighbors on their lanai, talking story. They started calling each other "Brah" and went barefoot everywhere. They have the right responses ingrained & this makes me feel successful as a mom. If I tell them that we're going to swim (a half mile) to a big rock in the ocean that we can explore, they grab their fins and go. If I tell them we're going to see Aunty Phyllis in Nuuanu, they ask what kind of animals she has there this time. The truth is, no one knows until you get there. Once, my mom walked through the gate and a monkey jumped on her head and grabbed her pigtails with its hands!!! You can always count on some chickens, dogs and cats, but she rescues pigs, goats, monkeys etc., so one never knows. This land that she lives on is sacred to the Hawaiians...and it's there that I feel hope for life and balance.
As I begrudgingly packed my bags to come back to California, I felt sad to leave Hawaii...but I started thinking about my dog, garden and my friends in Pleasant Hill...and I accept the fact that I have a very good life indeed!