As the Deer Longs

So I was taking a walk along the Old Croton Aqueduct last week when I came across this guy. Having spent so much time along the Camino, walking has certainly become a form of prayer for me. I have taken to consciously looking for God in my experiences as I walk. Whether short walks to the shop on the corner, or longer day hikes (or more…), I find my heart open and seeking as my feet move. This day was certainly a more blunt experience of the divine presence around us in God’s creation. The deer was no more than 10 yards from where I stood. As I approached him, he didn’t back away. Instead, he seemed to welcome me into the silence of his stare, and of the woods around. It was difficult not to want to capture the moment. As I raised my camera, he stopped, as though to show off for a moment, before going back to his lunch. A few minutes later he continued down his path, and I on mine.