As I go for my daily walk, I can see the blue mountains as I leave my home, due to no traffic on the roads! I've always walked and appreciated a sliver of them, but now I walk even more often, sometimes twice, three times a day and for longer - not becaus

As I go for my daily walk, I can see the blue mountains as I leave my home, due to no traffic on the roads! I've always walked and appreciated a sliver of them, but now I walk even more often, sometimes twice, three times a day and for longer - not because I'm locked down in isolation like so many others - I still have to go to school but just to remind me that the natural world and the God who I believe made it, is much bigger than this virus. It's like I can see every contour of the varying sized mountains, the stronger and softer colours of the blues, greys, silver, and greens; the expansive sky protruding above the living, running line of vegetation is different whatever time of day I walk; sometimes bright, clear and cloudless, monotone in its vibrant blue, other times dark and foreboding and at other times soft and pink, either welcoming the day, almost beckoning it softly and quietly to keep on coming or subtly kissing it away.

The longer 'this virus' goes on, the more I am tired of it and wish it would end but I'm also more thankful for things, many things, and people. I'm especially thankful for family and friends and that I live in Australia - we are so fortunate. I'm especially thankful for time to stop, be still, enjoy new things but also enjoy more of what I already had but didn't fully appreciate. No longer a sliver of those glorious mountains but now I feel reassured by them, I feel hugged by them - a reminder that God, this incredible world and time is much bigger than this virus and life will be Ok, just different.