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November 1, 2014 By Hailey

The Quiet of the Wild

Lately, I’ve had a lot of reasons for reflection.

I left my full-time job at the end of June. Took up residence in Munich for a few weeks in July. Explored some amazing places in Europe. Started this website. Celebrated marriages, birthdays, and actual birth-days. And lost my dear aunt to cancer.

Certainly, it has been a wild stretch in the landscape of life – full of beauty, wonder and joy, but also marked by immense grief and sorrow.

Wild indeed.

~*~

My mind drifts back to the second day of August. I was out exploring the country paths of Padirac, France, enjoying a particular peace that does not come from within as I took in my surroundings.

The sky hung low and wet. The cool kiss of mist covered the fields in a gentle morning embrace. Guided by stone walls, occasionally made invisible by the tangle of brush stretching over them, I followed the uneven footpath to an unknown destination. With the exception of the intermittent clang of bells, an indication of the grazing sheep nearby, all was quiet in the white grey shadows of sky and earth.

The thickets reached upward in a snarl of branches and thorns. Their skeletal shape framed the meadows of spindly grass and patches of exposed rock. There was a wildness to the countryside that captured my imagination. In fact, I had almost convinced myself that I had walked through a time portal from Madeleine L’Engle’s novel An Acceptable Time and would soon be greeted by a druid from pre-history.

As I ambled along the path of whimsy, I also wondered about the world and the condition of the human heart. What goes through our hearts and minds when the quiet comes? Why do we tie our worth and value to our possessions, jobs, and broken relationships? Where do we look for joy?

My mortal musings were interspersed with observing the details of my provincial setting. I studied the single-minded sheep in the pastures. I rejoiced over the abundance of wildflowers in bloom. I picked plump, juicy blackberries from the bushes bordering the stone wall.

It was a beautiful day.

~*~

My eyes close, and I am back in the present. My sweet reverie of a quiet walk in the French countryside is shattered by an everlasting heartache. My thoughts move to another wilderness that I have traversed even more recently.

“It’s a beautiful day” were my aunt’s last words.

~*~

The presence of her absence was palpable. There was a heaviness to the air inside the funeral home in the heart of downtown Atlanta, and it was as real as the fog that hung over a particular grassy meadow in France.

At 55 years old, my aunt had lost a brief and ferocious battle with a savage strain of non-smokers lung cancer – just six months after diagnosis. For the most part, we all thought the disease was treatable, beatable. Thus, we were shocked to lose our beloved so quickly and unexpectedly.

In those quiet moments – just minutes before family, friends and neighbors lined up to offer their condolences to my grandparents, mother, uncle, and cousins – the reality of death became tangible. The threat of inconsolable sadness began to swoop in from the hushed hallways, barely kept at bay by a warm and knowing hug.

Upon first glance, the richly decorated room, defined by finely woven upholstery, plush carpet, and chandeliers, would seem to have nothing in common with a meadow in France. Yet, there I was again: standing in the quiet of the wild.

~*~

Life is a precious gift – a truth I understand more deeply now, more than ever before. Not long ago, my aunt was one heart beating among a world of millions. And now, her heart beats no more. Instead she rests in the ultimate quiet. But for those of us who loved her, we remain in the wake of our wild loss. The wilderness will overwhelm us if we allow the tangled vines of grief and despair to take hold of our hearts. But, I believe, we are called to look above the thickets and thorns and set our gaze above.

So, I look upward.


What do you do, dear reader, when you find yourself alone in the quiet? When it seems like the wilderness will overtake you? Can you still see beauty? Where do you look for joy in the midst of great pain, suffering, and loss?

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  1. Gail Mitchell says

    November 9, 2014 at 3:54 pm

    Sweet daughter of Laurie, You are your mothers child! What wisdom and insight you share with her. I met your mother–when she was about your age now. I was then and am still –awe struck with her wisdom and strength. I know that your words of such love and comfort will help your entire family walk through this valley. Our Gods grace, mercy and love is my prayer for each of you. Thank you for sharing your heart. Love in Christ Jesus, Gail

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Hailey Domeck is a Southern girl with a Spanish heart and Swiss soul.

As a wife, mom, and travel addict, her love for mountains, fairy-tales, and great food keep her mind and heart always on the lookout for the next great adventure.

♥ Connect with Me ♥



💫 2020 - not about travel; all about family. 💫

#littleAlpenRose #WaveyBow
For me, this year was all about #motherhood - the For me, this year was all about #motherhood - the beauty of growing a child in the womb and then nurturing a precious newborn around the clock; the wild roller coaster of shepherding a toddler, whose contagious joy and  stubborn defiance make each day a challenge and a gift; the mundane tasks that help make a home feel warm and welcoming; and a bunch of other things. 

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#littleAlpenRose #WaveyBow
📷: @whitneykeilman
Merry Christmas, y’all! 🤍 No matter your circ Merry Christmas, y’all! 🤍 No matter your circumstances, may you experience JOY in this holiday season and have HOPE  for a brighter year ahead. 

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#littleAlpenRose #WaveyBow 

📷: @whitneykeilman
• T H A N K F U L • We are saying thanks for • T H A N K F U L • 

We are saying thanks for all things in life this week. It’s so easy to get stuck on either the big picture or the tiny details, but I believe it’s important to take it all in - like I did on this ridge overlooking #Manang Village last year while trekking the #AnnapurnaCircuit in #Nepal. 

Creating a culture of gratitude takes intentionality and discipline... and it’s especially not easy when babies and toddlers demand so much of you at all hours of the day and night. Yet, here we are at the start of the holiday season, and I’m choosing to be grateful for the whole lot. 

What are you thankful for this year?
Hooray, it’s the weekend! 🥳 I don’t have a Hooray, it’s the weekend! 🥳

I don’t have any big plans today (#newbornlife), but I’m recalling the joy of “Heidi Hailey” in the Himalayas last November. ☺️ Shout out to @thatdutchieguy for bringing his Polaroid camera on our #CreateConnectNepal journey... what a fun way to capture special moments, - like my favorite stretch of the #AnnapurnaCircuit in the #Manang District ❣️

What are you up to this weekend?
As I sit here nursing an 8-week old babe, it’s j As I sit here nursing an 8-week old babe, it’s just wild to me that on this date exactly one year ago, I was walking among giants and completed the most difficult hike of my life. 

On November 11, 2019, the #CreateConnectNepal team and I went up and over the Thorong La Pass. At 17,769 feet (5416m), this is the pinnacle of the Annapurna Circuit and one of the highest mountain passes in the world. The day began in the dark with a grueling 4+ hour ascent through snow-kissed trails and then required a fierce descent down a bone dry valley. It demanded everything of me. 

Yet, that day up and over Thorong La was just one part of my epic adventure in #Nepal last November. I am eternally grateful for that experience and cherish those memories dearly. I also miss those people a lot. ❣️
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