WE WERE INVITED TO THE VETERANS HEALTH ALLIANCE WEEKEND RETREAT. LOCATED UPSTATE NEW YORK IN THE SMALL TOWN OF WINDHAM. THERE WERE NINETEEN OF US. VETERAN'S ALL. SOME OF US SERVED IN DIFFERENT WARS. BUT WE WERE UNITED THROUGH A BROTHERHOOD OF SERVICE.
OUR COUNSELORS WERE JEFF, RHEA, DIANA, DENIS E, ANNA, AND BRAIN, WE WERE IN THE VERY BEST OF HANDS. THREE DAYS OF MEDITATION, HEALING, AND SELF DISCOVERY. IT WAS TO BE A WEEKEND FILLED WITH SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT. YOGA FOR THE SOUL. MASSAGES FOR THE BODY. MEDITATION FOR THE MIND. MOTIVATIONAL SPEECHES TO AROUSE YOUR SPIRIT.
CAROL WAS THE HOUSE MOTHER. SHE GAVE US SHELTER AND SERVED US HOME COOKED MEALS. IT FELT AS IF WE WERE BACK HOME WITH OUR MOTHERS. A HOME AWAY FROM HOME. THANKS, MOM. SATURDAY MORNING. YOGA WITH DENISE. DESIGNED TO BALANCE YOUR MIND AND BODY. TO HELP YOU RELAX IN THE MOMENT.
HIKING WAS NEXT. BRIAN PICKED THE ACRA TRAIL. AN EASY THREE MILES THERE AND BACK. BUT IN THE END, IT TURNED OUT TO BE A FORMIDABLE TREK FOR US. EIGHT MILES OUT AND BACK. BUT THE ACRA TRAIL PICKED THE WRONG CAMPERS TO MESS AROUND WITH. WE PUSHED, PULLED AND CAJOLED EACH OTHER TO THE SUMMIT. WE REJOICED AND CONGRATULATED EACH OTHER.
A TIME OF DEEP MEDITATION WITH BRIAN. IT WAS TIME TO RELAX AND TAKE IN THE VISTA OF THIS MAGNIFICENT MOUNTAIN. IT WAS WELL WORTH THE HIKE. WE CARRIED OLD GLORY WITH US. AS IS OUR CUSTOM WE SECURED ITTO THE TALLEST TREE. THE AMERICAN FLAG WAS FLYING PROUDLY FOR ALL TO SEE. A QUICK LUNCH FUELING US WITH ENERGY FOR THE TREK BACK TO OUR CARS.
THE HIKE BACK IS EASIER AND QUICKER AS GRAVITY PROPELS YOU DOWN. WE WERE TRUE TO US CREDO "LEAVE NO MAN BEHIND." ALONG THE WAY WE BONDED AND DISCOVERED OUR INNER STRENGTHS. THIS AFTERNOON BOTH OUR SPIRITS AND FLESH WERE STRONG AND, WILLING. WE SET OUT WITH A LOFTY GOAL AND STRONG DETERMINATION. WE CAME, WE SAW, WE CONQUERED. A HEARTY HIKE TO BE SURE.
MASSAGES, DINNER, AND RELAXATION FOLLOW. LATER IN THE EVENING A FIRE CEREMONY WITH ANNA. SMORES AND MORE. THERE IS NOTHING MORE RELAXING AND COMPELLING THEN SITTING AROUND A CAMPFIRE. THE BRIGHT COLORS OF WHITE, YELLOW, ORANGE AND RED FLAMES DRAW YOU IN CLOSE AND WARM YOUR HEART. A DESSERT OF S'MORES WITH GRAHAM CRACKERS, FIRE ROASTED MARSHMALLOWS, AND DARK CHOCOLATE. SELECT AN ORACLE CARD AND READ YOUR OWN FATE.
SUNDAY MORNING, BREAKFAST AND MORE MASSAGES. I MEAN WHO COULD TURN DOWN A MASSAGE. A SHORT TREK TO THE WATERFALLS. WE MEDITATED AND REFLECTED ON THE WEEKEND AND OUR LIVES. YOU KNEW YOU WERE IN THE COUNTRY. THE AIR WAS FRESH. THE WATER WAS CLEAN. THERE WERE NO POLICE. NO LITTER. PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR WINDOWS AND DOORS OPEN. THEY HAVE TIME FOR SMALL TALK. THEY SMILE. THEY HAVE M ANN ERS. THEY MOVE A BIT SLOWER. OFTENTIMES I FELT I WAS IN MAYBERRY. ALL THAT WAS MISSING WAS ANDY, BARNEY, AUNT BEE, OPIE, AND OTIS THE TOWN.DRUNK. WINDHAM, A SMALL TOWN WITH A BIG HEART. AND IN THE END, WE FOUND OUT THAT WE WERE ONE IN A MILLION.
