Confidence/One

[This is the first installment on the theme of confidence. Stay with me; the story will unfold into some pleasant surprises.]

Dear friends,

I recently discovered this sacred place in Seattle called, fittingly, Discovery Park. Last Saturday, just a few hours after I arrived in the Emerald City, I decided to do a little exploring in this space. The only prior information I had about Discovery Park was that it is Seattle's largest park and has a front-row seat to the Puget Sound, both which were enough to get me there.

With only a general idea of its location, I easily found the south parking lot, put on my running shoes, studied the park's map, then walked in the direction of the water. The air felt cool, the clouds comforting, the light arcane. Somewhere along the trail, I decided to take a right onto a path that led to an old, white chapel. I gaped. As I slowly walking around it, I ogled over the church architecture and imagined the kind of history lived in this church. I hope people still gather in the building.

Carrying the same presence as a lighthouse, the chapel overlooks a sweeping view of the Sound; acres of grasses that open up and invite visitors to play; military families' homes - a sign of contribution; children playing games in the distance; couples walking side-by-side; and then there was me. From the chapel, my journey took me through the middle of the grasses towards the bluffs. The trail zigzagged all the way down to the edge. I stood there for many minutes to watch a freighter hustle to its final destination, perhaps to its home. Sailboats dotted the waters. Hikers peacefully passed behind me. The wind whistled.

Contribution and Spirit. Community and play. Beauty and possibility. A thrilling, mysterious collision.

This is the journey of confidence.

A.