Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Silent Bonding or Just a Good Massage

Just because a person is trying to be environmentally friendly and striving to leave only footprints doesn’t mean she must sacrifice all pampering for the sake of the environment. I love the meeting of nature and massage for an eco-friendly date.

One Saturday afternoon, in the dappled shade of an oak beside a pond, my honey and I settled on mats with large cotton towels and blankets for comfort. The warmth made me sleepy. My eyes closed, I didn’t want to miss a moment of the massage though. If I fell asleep I would miss out on the experience. My honey squeezed my hand in silent communication.

While the two massage therapists worked the stress from our muscles, I enjoyed the feel of warm oil and the gentle flow of hands over skin to melt away the stress. The special oil had mint in it and when it was rubbed into my scalp, all my cares disappeared. I breathed easier and inhaled the tangy scent blending with the freshness of the air.

We didn’t speak to keep the moment pure. In touch with our inner feelings and the opportunity to become with nature, just human animals listening to the chirping of the crickets, a lazy sound dependent on air temperature. The buzz of other insects, the plop-swish made by frogs moving into the pond and the tiny dollop-dimple sound of the water skating bugs in preparation for the first glide across the pond.

This was a moment of idyllic quiet before we return to our daily lives. I was surprised that four people could be so silent as to not mar nature by sound. Each person lost in private thoughts and still joined in a special oneness that cannot be duplicated, a unique moment becoming part of the continuum.

THE END

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