My Unexpected Encounter on a Dawn Driven Quest

My head resting on my pillow and night’s sleep tugging at the edges of my mind, a question flickered to life, bright and insistent. Could I walk 10,000 steps at the break of dawn?

Sleepy, mental math painted a challenging picture. To embark on this two-hour plus journey and return in time to meet the bright-eyed mornings of my early riser boys, I'd need to leave by 4:30. It was a daunting prospect, yet something about it felt imperative—as if this challenge was meant for me.

Consulting Google Maps, I drowsily charted a path that promised not just exercise but inspiration as well, winding through the historic heart of North Tacoma, culminating at one of my favorite vistas overlooking Puget Sound.

The next morning, as I left the warmth of my bed at 4:30, I faced the quiet dark with some skepticism about my sanity. Yet, something deeper than mere determination spurred me forward—a whisper of something waiting, something meant just for me.

With faithful camera in hand, I ventured forth. The morning unfurled its beauty gently, a tender unfolding that I tried to capture in snapshots, though they paled in comparison to the experience itself.

Each step felt like a note in a larger symphony, the world around me waking in a crescendo of light and scent that lifted my spirits at every turn.

An hour and a half after leaving home, I finally reached my destination, later than planned but exactly when meant to be. The scene stirred my soul.

The sky was a subtle palette of mist and muted hues, holding layers of mystery and intrigue as if whispering secrets meant only for my ears. The air danced with a breeze that felt like a gentle caress.

I closed my eyes, stretched my arms wide, breathed deeply, and stood in silent thanks to the Great Mystery that brought me to this perfect, picturesque moment.

When I opened my eyes moments later, a rustle came from the hillside below, not from a leaf, but something far more splendid—a deer’s ear, then another, followed by soft eyes and a delicate neck.

As majestic as she was unexpected, the fawn stepped forward, as if summoned by my silent gratitude. Our eyes locked, and in that glance, we shared a moment suspended outside of time—filled with awe and profound recognition.

I raised my camera with humbled reverence and captured our singular moment of connection.

She advanced towards me with the grace of dawn itself, each step a delicate poem of motion. Finally within arms length, she veered to my side and continued on her journey.

As she wandered past, giving one lingering look back, I felt a connection to something larger—a thread woven between her path and mine, a shared piece of time that neither of us would forget.

Reflecting on our encounter as I walked back home, I realized this journey was more than physical. It was a walk into the realm of possibility, where the universe whispers through the rustling leaves and sends messengers through the mist of dawn, in the guise of a deer, reminding us that every step is a part of a greater story we are meant to live.