The Gift of Presence in the New Year

Whenever I lead outdoor writing programs, whether with children or adults, I start off with a mindful breathing exercise. I see it as an opportunity to hit the reset button, to help people forget whatever it is they may have been focused on and move into the present moment. 

 I was leading just such a program when I asked a group of tweens and teens to find a spot along a creek bank. Once they settled in, I asked them to sit up tall like a well-watered flower. I told them we were going to focus on breathing for a moment. In and out, belly rising and then falling. They could count inhales and exhales or not. They could shut their eyes or keep them open. I let them know thoughts and sounds would likely interrupt that focus and that was normal. (According to the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California, the average brain generates 48.6 thoughts per minute.) All they needed to do was notice the thought, let it go, and focus again on their breathing. 

As they breathed, I watched. After a minute had elapsed, I told them they could open their eyes if they had shut them. I asked if they felt any different. Several of the girls said they felt calmer. The oldest of the group, who was a bit of a smart aleck but lived in stressful circumstances, not only shocked the daylights out of me, but brought surprise tears to my eyes when he said, “this must be what peace feels like.” 

Wow! Whenever my equilibrium gets a little wonky, I revisit that memory. 

As we move into 2026, there’s one thing I know. Stressors are part of life. And they come in a wide assortment of shapes and sizes. The question is how you choose to deal with them. 

In my last corporate job, when I was responsible for serving 26 offices around the country, I used to joke that even my interruptions got interrupted. I can’t tell you how many times my plans changed at a moment’s notice. Here in Burnsville, though, I get to notice the moment. 

That’s my invitation to you. When I write that Burnsville is the place to BE, I mean it, in part, quite literally. Gift yourself with a little time to step away from the fray and slip into a more soothing pace. As much as I love spring and summer wildflowers, for example, there’s something equally wondrous about the slower rhythm of the woods in winter. I love the crunch of fallen leaves beneath my feet, the silhouette of bare tree limbs against the sky, whether cloudy or blue. There’s no end to the wonders I notice when I give myself the opportunity and permission to BE present.  

If you think about it, the trees drop their leaves in fall to conserve energy during the winter months. We all deserve the time and space to shed what we don’t need and recharge our respective batteries. And here’s a little pro-tip. Hot chocolate or a soul-warming cocktail taste even yummier after a crisp winter walk. 

This IS what peace FEELS like.