My wife and I were at a nature park today which includes a series of hikes and trails, some small lakes, lots of wildlife as well as the manufactured buildings of an interpretive centre, a museum of sorts and the token restaurant and gift shop. It was really a beautiful setting here in our city ... a natural getaway within the confines of our urban life. We spent hours hiking and talking and absorbing all that this little cut-out of Mother Nature had to offer. It really was a lot of fun and a great reminder of what our planet really is all about.

And my favourite part was when we finished our hiking and took a break outside the interpretive centre which is situated between a couple of small lakes. As we walked out on the patio and strode by the picnic tables set up, we spotted a couple of wooden lounge-type chairs side-by-side and situated right at the top of an embankment that led down to the lake. They were placed just within a little spot of clearing between a row of hedges and facing the lake and the trees and plains beyond. And with absolutely no one around, we took those seats to relax and have a drink of water and a spot of snack. We chatted for a few minutes about what we saw on our hike and how beautiful the setting is. Then we just sat and looked out on the lake to relish in the luck we had in getting to this spot.

And as I looked out, the wind was whipping up to cool us off, the birds were chatting to themselves high above us, the clouds were rolling by as puffs of quiet serenity and the sun beams were dancing on the waves of the water in stunning, glittering, mesmerizing fashion. And I imagined that this is very much like the power of the Force. The Force, as old Ben described it, is an energy field that binds us and penetrates us ... it is all around us. How can all this beauty and life of the setting that I am beholding now not be like the Force? I feel the energy of all this nature binding me and flowing through my very body and soul ... like the wind that is blowing hard to move the waves and bring us refreshment, I feel its power in its movement. The birds are calling overhead in a language that only they understand, giving energy unto themselves in their natural glory. The clouds are gathering energy unto themselves in the form of moisture that will rain down upon us giving us life and nourishment. The sun, gleaming so beautifully on the water, is giving us the very energy that we need to live ... to feed off of its giving power and sustain our very beings, as well as provide the beauty I see on the water.

And I realize that all this has come together for us ... both human and nature. It allows us to live as one planet and gives us the state of being. And it's allowing me to live in the moment and absorb all that it has to offer ... to renew and to refresh.

And as I further think of Star Wars, I think of the moment that also served to renew and refresh. That of Luke giving his self over to the Force to defend his environment. He threw down his weapon in the heat of battle in defense of what he knew to be right ... he was living in the moment when he saw clearly what needed to be done. He was washed over by the Force to do what was right and in turn the Force granted him a renewed life ... one in which his father was redeemed. He accepted what the situation was and did what he had to do. Years before, Anakin couldn't live in the moment to do what was right ... he was too plagued by what he thought he saw in the future and what pained him about his past. If he could have had moments like I had today, and let the Force flow through him and enjoy the spot he was in, the galaxy may have turned out differently. Instead, he closed himself off to all the things around him that made up the whole of his existence ... such as the wind caressing his face, the music of the birds, the silent peace of the clouds and the beauty of the sun-kissed water.

Now, they don't happen everyday, but when these moments strike they certainly help to put me at ease. When I can sense the scope of the beauty of our world, albeit in just a small little piece of nature preserve, I can very much appreciate all that this life has to offer. It also helps me to understand Ben Kenobi's interpretation of the Force as he explained it to Luke and how it guides a Jedi in their thinking. To feel that much energy all around is very eye-opening, very settling and very humbling.

And I look forward to the next moment.