“Darn it! I am going to enjoy an outside walk today!” he said with such resoluteness.

His attitudinal change was indeed a surprise since days of non-ending worry about his health made him restless and anxious. Being a worry wart, he envisioned the worst and as a consequence, his blood pressure rose, his stomach churned, and his sleep broken.

The much-appreciated warm and sincere support from family and friends did elicit a sense of well-being. However, it disappeared once the e-texts were read, the video chats were concluded, the phones were hung up, and the physical goodbyes were made. He felt paralyzed and alone.

It was a beautiful, sunny day with a cool breeze wafting every now and then. The heavy crowns of tall trees cast shades, welcoming shadows on his trail.

He put a smile on his face as he stepped on the road, fully committed to celebrate the day – the surroundings, his existence, and life in general.

The neighborhood was quiet except for a faint, distant barking of dogs and the occasional swooshing sound by a passing car. His polarized sunglasses made everything look sharper and intense as he proceeded with his introspection, the size of the smile on his face somehow reflected the intensity of a moment.

“I should really find the time to appreciate and enjoy what I currently have access to,” he thought. “And, I should be accepting of what might happen and not to worry about things I can’t control.”

His self-searching was interrupted when something caught his attention as he crossed a subdivision entrance to get on its cement trail.

“Oh, wow!” he uttered as he approached the large clusters of Black-eyed Susans flanking the entrance. He was magnetized by their dark purplish-brown florets appearing as black eyes inside yellow-orange peripheral florets; the green leaves and stalks completing the arresting presentation.

“How can anything be so perfect and beautiful?” he marveled as he took several pictures, unmindful of cars coming in and out of the subdivision.

After editing the best, he immediately shared the picture with family and friends on his phone as he returned home. He occasionally looked up to center himself on the path or to avoid traffic as he crossed streets.

The slew of positive responses to the sharing of the picture pleased him much – a wonderful way to cap his outdoor commune with nature and self.

He closed his eyes and filled his lungs with fresh air, holding it in for as long as he could.

He took the last few steps to his front door feeling energized.