I am the classic A-Type.  I wake up during the night in a sweaty panic worrying about mindless things that really don't warrant waking up at 3am.  "What color should I paint the bedroom?"  "I have so much laundry to do."  "The house needs to be pressure washed."  You get the point.  My mind NEVER stops.  There are few things that allow me to turn the volume down inside my head.  One is a beautiful sunrise over the Cooper River.  This is my view every morning when I take Maisie to school.  It reminds me how lovely the world is and how lucky I am to be a part of it.

A couple of days a week I get out in that world and walk to the zenith of the bridge.  I'm not dressed in stylish running gear... just the opposite.  I am a mis-mash of colors, wearing anything that will protect me from the bitter cold.  The only decent article of clothing are my fabulous running shoes that I spent a fortune on... but they do make all the difference.  So up I go... powered by the lads from Ireland I can immediately feel the burn as my weak legs take longer and longer strides.  The cold air rushes in to my under prepared lungs and soon I am huffing and puffing... but still singing (sometimes out loud) with the lads.... "Magnificent !"  These are the moments when all my troubles are pushed from my mind.  I feel alive.  I can breathe.  The view from the top is spectacular, and the lesson learned is that getting there is worth every heart pounding step. 

Nature is funny that way.  Offering lessons when we don't even realize it.  Take for instance my friend the woodpecker.   I find this little guy perched in a tree in my front yard.  He's been coming back for years now (I'd like to think it's the same bird) diligently drilling hundreds and hundreds of holes in the tree.  His hard work is rewarded when he retrieves the bugs that call his little caves home.

I can count on him to greet me every day during the winter.  His drive is steadfast and as a result he reaps the rewards of his labor.  My feathered friend also makes me quite happy.  He is a constant in my otherwise A-Type world.  Something to remind me that perhaps the little voices nagging at me are nature's way of saying... just do it !!   Pick a paint color, do the laundry, wash the house.  Don't sweat the small stuff.