Feel Good Lost

This past saturday I decided to go for an early EASY trail run. At this point I am unable to push my achilles at all. Yes I can run sort of. More like a jog. On hills I have to be really careful to not strain it too much. I know it's healing but it is still very tender.
Anyway I mapped out a new park that I had never been to about 25 min. outside of Fairfax,Va. Looked to be about 20 miles of trails. So I headed out. Figured I could fine a nice 5 mile loop or at least and out and back. Got to the park and it was closed! So I parked outside of the gate and well, broke the law and went for a run in the woods. Found the trail map. Ah… a 6 mile loop. Perfect. Follow the blue blaze.
I headed out out occasionally glancing up at the trail markers to be sure I had not missed a turn.
So what was suppose to be a short easy run turned out to be a rather long semi hard run. The problem I ran into was the blue blazes never looped back! Of course I had brought no water, had eaten very little before I left and had minimal amounts of clothes on. At around 5 or 6 miles of running I though, Hmmm, shall i turn around? I realized if I did this run was going to be a solid 12 mile run. So I figured no no no… the trail map said it was a loop!! I continued on following the blue blazes.
I will pause from the drama for just a few moments to comment on the run itself.
The trails were great. A mix of technical,easy single track and those fantastic swooping downhills in the pines. A couple of times it was as if I was running through a tube of trees. The silence was fantastic. I stopped several times just to listen. I heard nothing. I mean nothing. Silence. How precious silence is to me. True silence is very hard to come by. I always relish those few moments when I am blessed with it's gift. Also happened upon not one but several graveyards. The old family farm graveyards. I stopped at each one since I am a lonely graveyard fan. Deep in the woods alone with a snippet of memory chosen for each person I began to think how my own life is just a snippet of memory.
Seems your influence on others is the best memory to be passed on. A memory living on. The one stone said "was always the sunshine of the house". It was a mom I presume. Were her influences still living on in some person I do not know? I suspect so. I liked to think they were positive considering she was remembered as "the sunshine of the house". What a pleasant way to be talked of.
Having friends and family to be a positive influence on is such an important part of life. I have only just begun to realize the importance of this. At times you need to be there for others. At times they will need to be there for you. Together you are more than alone. I cannot think of many things more beautiful than that.
Having run for over six miles and deciding to press on hoping the trail ended I did so. Another 50 minutes later I arrive at a parking lot. Not the parking lot I started at. Broke out the phone after having found the nearest intersection road names. Called Monica and told her through my embarrassment I had gotten lost and needed to be picked up. She happily found the directions and was soon off driving to pick me up. I needed her. I was thankful for her. "always the sunshine of the house" she was.
Warm food and a soft bed never felt so good some hours later.