Redefining Peace

It's funny, I used to think peace was something you found in another person,

in a marriage, in a home full of laughter. Now it's just me and the birds,

the mist rising off the water, the trees standing guard like old friends. The world is so

still at this hour, like it's holding its breath. And I realize, as my feet hit the

trail and my heart starts to pound, that this quiet is what I've been craving.