Refuge

refuge (noun)
ref·​uge ˈref-ˌyüj 1 : shelter or protection from danger or distress

I grew up in Lawton, Oklahoma near the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. As a kid, there were several family and field trips over the years, and the space always felt somewhat mythical. Longhorn and bison roaming the fields and streets, mountains here and there in our flat midwestern landscape. Miles of trails to get lost exploring, making the town seems hours away instead of the actual minutes. And then ascending Mount Scott to see everything spanned out below, framing any fears of worries as something so easily conquerable.

As an adult, I moved back with my own family. The refuge became our escape during those years. On particularly hard days, I would escape there alone, or with a kid or two, with my camera and meditate with those soulful eyes watching as I experienced nature’s miracles all around me.