The television was blasting away in the family room. Her husband would be parked there the rest of the day. The kids were in their rooms doing their homework. Her own chores nagged at her but she wasn't in the mood. She had to get away! Without a word to anyone, she grabbbed her jacket and flew out of the house. She headed towards the woods in the back of their house. She walked quickly and her cheeks began to grow slightly numb. She was only slightly aware of the chill in the air, but that was okay, because she'd been feeling just as numb lately. She was tired and fed up with it all. Work, family, the whole damn scene.

The hot and dry summer had finally ended and hopefully all the family squabbles that had been as numerous as the flies! Walking through the familiar woods, she was oblivious to all of it's beauty. What lies ahead now? She knew her husband would be called back to work soon. Thank God for that! The kids were back in school and with all three, there would be a new set of problems. Notes were coming home by the score! Money was needed for their many projects, field trips and whatever else the school would come up with during the year. She let out a groan. They would be needing winter jackets and what if they had more snow than usual? "I don't want to think about any of it!" She quickened her pace.

She had been working toward this depression for a week now. As always, this time of the year seemed to bring it on. God, will things ever be right again? She took a deep breath and began to jog at a steady pace. Before long, she was running hard. Her only thought was to keep on running until she fell off the edge of the earth. She ran faster until she was gasping for breath. Finally exhausted, she flopped down on to a bed of leaves. She shivered as a gust of cold air now rested on her over-heated and clammy skin. She leaned her head back against a tree trunk and closed her eyes. A flood of memories rushed to invade her senses. When she finally opened her eyes, she noticed her surroundings as if it were the first time she had been there.

The air was brisk and the leaves were brilliant in color! She looked around and imagined herself an artist and she couldn't put her brushes down. Her eyes swept the landscape, drinking in all the colors, afraid that they would soon disappear. She imagined herself mixing the yellows, oranges and reds on her palette! The sky became a huge canvas for her to paint her picture. Her eyes surveyed the beauty of it all! She sat and drank in the beauty, savoring it like a fine wine. Why hadn't she noticed this last Sunday, when the kids had finally coerced her into going on an outing? They had put together a make-shift picnic and she had done nothing but complain. She felt so ashamed now. Not only did she owe them an apology, but to mother nature herself!

Even though the skys were a gray-blue in color, it only added accentuated the yellow and scarlet trees surrounding the small lake near by. The water was crystal clear, as it reflected the beauty that surrounded it. She blinked several times and caught her breath. It was that beautiful!

She inhaled deeply. She became aware of the scent of the trees and the earth that held them. The leaves had a musty, but sweet scent. Her nostrils flared as a gust of wind sent these now all too familiar odors back home to rest. Memories of her childhood now took hold. She remembered the burning of the fall leaves back when it was okay. She and her brothers would run and jump into the huge raked piles. They would push and shove each other, their squeals of delight could be heard and now remembered! Her parents would tell them to quit messing around, yelling "Hurry and get those leaved raked up!" Her parents would try to hide their amusement and remembering now, she smiled to herself. Those times were joyful and they took the time to live them. Such simple pleasures! Where had those seasons gone?

Now rested and filled with a sense of wellness, she walked slowly and explored, for she wanted it to last. The many paths and winding trails were a haven for thinkers, writers, artists, nature enthusiests and lovers of all kinds. It's funny, how one could discover a new path when they least expected it. She had left her watch at home and for once, she didn't care what time it was! She didn't want her painting disturbed or her pleasure interrupted by man!

She continued walking, taking in every site and smell. By late afternoon, all activity in the forest began to slow down. The winds had become only whispers of breezes and the world had began to grow still. As she sat quietly she watched the smaller residents of the forest... still scurrying and finishing up their many chores before dark. They were making their squirrel's nests, getting ready for their winter just ahead. They worked briskly, seemingly unaware of the outside world. Nothing interrupted their work and they certainly didn't whine about it. They were just doing "their thing."

Vague thoughts of her own chores lie dormant in her concious. Inspite of not wanting to think, she did. She thought of her husband and how much she truly loved him. She thought of her children and how proud she was of them. They had tried so hard to please her and her husband. Summer hadn't been easy on them, with no vacations planned or extra money to do things. She began to cry. When she was able to wipe the tears away, her husband and children only haunted her more. Her heart ached for everything to be right once again.

It was almost dusk, when she realized she must now head back. Her family was home waiting for her. She had put a stew up in the crock pot earlier and biscuits were prepared and ready to be put in the oven. The hot meal would be good tonight! She realized that she was thirsty and very hungry. She hastened her steps toward home. She walked quickly and her mind was now clear. She laughed when she remembered the apple pie still in the freezer. A few weeks ago, the kids and she had gone to pick apples. Again, it was against her own wishes. Her family would like that and they could top it off with vanilla ice cream.

As she came closer to the house, she could see the lights twinkling through the trees and she could smell the aromas of her own cooking. She made her way across the back yard. Her husband rushed out to meet her.

"Are you okay?" His soft voice was anxious and barely a whisper.

She nodded and quickly threw her arms around him, squeezing him hard.

"Everything's cool. Hey? Have I told you lately that I love you?"