Hearts among the trees 🌳🌲💛💙💜❤️💖🌲🌳

I posted this on the C25k forum, but wanted to share this with you here too.....

So much more than just a run today..... I have been overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers 💖.

I will be the first to admit that this week, the second week of lockdown, has been a struggle for me. My mood and my motivation hit the floor. I last ran on Sunday, should have run Tuesday...., put it off till Thursday.... Doldrums creeping in....

Last night I gave myself a firm talking to and I pledged to run....

This morning I got up and I was out of the house early before anyone else was out of bed. I planned to run a new route, which would take me up a small hill to one of my favourite places (I usually walk it with the dog!). At the top there is the most beautiful view of the South Downs. I thought it would fit within my 30 minute consolidation run time, maybe a little more, with 5 minutes walking either side. No Strava today, just my ordinary wristwatch - this was all about allowing myself to just run....

The track has a slow uphill rise and emerges from the trees onto a deserted open play area before disappearing into the woodland again. It was a challenge and I thought I might have pushed myself a little too far, but I kept going. The track levels out a little as it approaches the view point. I ran without my headphones again today, so I could really appreciate the birdsong which seems so abundant now. My footsteps on the soft woodland track were audible as I ran, something I haven't really noticed before. As I turned the last corner towards the viewpoint three gorgeous golden and black labradors bounded into view and, as they doubled back towards the calls of their owner, they bounced along with me.

The view was beautiful and, as I stopped to photograph it, the dogs appeared again. I have walked this hill numerous times with my own dog (who loves to run on her own terms, but unfortunately not sensibly with me...) and the view always embraces me at the top; I love it. Today I ran up here and it was marvellous.

With my spirits already lifted, I started the run down the other side, the view of which you can see in the photograph. Eventually my run turned onto the route of an old railway line. As I ran along it I noticed something ahead, hanging on the branches of the trees along the track. Getting closer, I realised that there were dozens of little wooden hearts, all bearing the most wonderful messages, hanging like Christmas decorations as far as I could see. I stopped to read them all, taking photographs of many as I passed. It was the most welcome, emotional and uplifting experience and it brought with it both a smile and a tear. A lady, walking her dogs towards me from the other direction, and I stopped to talk about the hearts from opposite sides of the path. She said that they had slowly appeared during the course of the week and she believed that it was a family with young children who had made them and hung them up during their walks. We chatted a little longer, asking how each other was doing although we have never met before. We briefly shared our worries, a few anecdotes and shed a couple of tears together, before wishing each other well and heading our separate ways.

Running home I felt comforted, despite my tears or perhaps because of them. I felt a sense of pride in the community in which I live, grateful that someone out there has invested time and effort into making a difference to others. The little wooden hearts certainly worked their magic on me; their little messages combined with a run to my favourite place have lifted me out of the doldrums and put me in the best frame of mind I have had all week. I'm so glad that the little hearts are hanging there and I shall be sharing them with my family on our dog walks.

Take care everyone. Keep safe and keep running 💖🤗