My Meaningful and Rewarding Place: The Glen

I remember the first time I stumbled across the glen very clearly. My teacher wrote me up that day. When I handed the pink slip to my parents so they could sign it at dinner, they said we would talk about it ‘later’. After dinner, I could hear them arguing- about me. I just needed to get out of the house for a while. I opened the back door, and out I ran. My destination was the woods and hills behind our home. When I couldn’t run any longer, I stopped. I looked up and saw hills in front of me, covered in trees, and decided to climb to the top.

I hiked for about an hour and made it half-way up the hill. I would be in trouble when I came home, but I was so upset that I didn’t care. I climbed for about ten more minutes and stopped- I had found a beautiful glen hidden on the side of the hill. There was a small brook that ran over rocks that sparkled in the moonlight and a small, grassy field with flowers popping up around it. Next to the brook were several large rocks, where I would sit and reflect for the next hour.

The hidden glen helped calm me. I listened to the sounds of the water and felt the grass tickle my dangling feet when the wind blew. I knew that I had to return (and face my parents) eventually, but for a moment, the entire world melted away. Not only did I have this new place to visit in times of hardship, it was at the end of a long hike. Making it through the woods and up the hills to find this place was rewarding in itself.

I eventually did return home, getting grounded for the pink slip and for my excursion. After a few weeks of my grounding, I went back out to explore the woods and find the glen. I found the hills pretty easily, but it took me three attempts to find my special place. Once I found it, I never forgot the path that I took to get there. I learned that the rocks of the brook sparkled even more in the sunlight than they did at night. It was a place that maintained its beauty day and night.

My parents lived in that home all through my teenage years and they still live there today. Even as an adult, I have hiked through the woods to find that special glen. It brings about sense of calm and accomplishment. The wind that blows the flowers and the grass and the beautiful brook and sparkling rocks have guided me toward my deepest sense of self. Even now, I turn to glen to bring me inner peace and help me seek the answers I need in life. I also like to visit in times when I’m ready to give up. The hike alone is enough to convince me that I can do anything- even climb up to my mountainside sanctuary and find internal peace.