Taking The Waters

They say there is no rest for the weary. I don't agree. There is a place of rest for every traveler. There is a balm and there is a honey. You just have to find it. You have to be strong enough to let it wash over you and take care of you. Why does the total abandon that is true rest require strength? Well it's actually a herculean task for those of us who cringe at the thought of asking for help or letting someone else in who might see our weaknesses and reject us. But when you do find a space of true rest you will look back and be surprised that it was actually strength that got you there....not weakness.

A few weeks ago I was able to visit what's known as The Jefferson Pools, natural mineral springs that flow from deep within the earth at a clear and constant 98 degrees. They were named after the man himself because Jefferson sought them out in 1818 as possible treatment for a rheumatism that was affecting him. Legend tells us these magically healing waters were actually discovered by local Indians in the 1600's, but no matter their method of discovery, by 1761 they were open to the public and the rest is history. 

I didn't have time that day to experience the water, merely walk the grounds, but I hope to one day. Do I believe in their healing properties? That remains to be seen. But I do believe in what they represent, a centuries-old concept known as "Taking the Waters". As you'll see in the sign below, it means to seek relief "from: the anxieties, aches and pains of everyday life". How wonderful, and something we don't do nearly enough of. Whether you find this relief (or rest) in a place, space, person or concept....I just hope you take the time to find it - as Jefferson did in so many aspects of his life. 

Finally, these pictures will always be special to me because of how I felt when I took them. Slow. Peaceful. Happy. Whole. At rest.