An Unfamiliar Path

I went to the park again today. I walked 4 miles on a trail I have never been on before.

Maybe it was just my perspective or my frame of mind today (which is more positive than it has been lately...thank God). Or maybe I'm just becoming fond of great analogies (you know who you are!) ;) But I couldn't help but apply several things I observed to what has been going on in my life over the past year.

It began when I got to the trail head. I had to make a choice which way I wanted to go.

Shortly after I began my walk, I noticed a huge uprooted tree. I couldn't help but think this is exactly what happened to life-as-I-knew-it on October 18th, 2008. My life, my home, my family, my world. Everything was uprooted. Nothing would ever be the same again.

I continued on. I came to a point a couple miles in that was kind of hilly. I went down a somewhat steep hill with great ease and speed. When I reached the bottom, it curved. I could tell that, right after that curve, I would then have to go back uphill. So I tried to keep my momentum going so as to make the uphill part a bit easier. It worked until I got about halfway up. I slowed down and even struggled a bit...but I made it back up to the top.

That is how I've been figuratively living. Ups and downs. Gaining speed. Struggling. Finding strength when I need it most.

My path eventually took me to a different type of environment. To a more even path. A prettier path. This is what I saw ahead of me. Although I had never walked this path before, it was clear where I was headed. I didn't know what was ahead of the bend in the path but I figured it was safe to assume that the path would continue on until I reached the end.

At that point, I had no clue how far I'd gone or how much further I had to go. All I could do was keep walking forward. But I had surely made progress. So I turned around to look at where I had just come from. To see that I have, indeed, been moving forward.

That's when I noticed the contrast in the shady and the sunny areas of this path. When I found myself in the sunny parts, it was so bright that I needed my sunglasses. But in the shade? It felt almost eerie at times. It could be so dark even though I knew that the sun was shining brightly somewhere up above. I can't tell you how many times I've felt that contrast in my life lately. And it can change in the blink of an eye...many times throughout a day.

Well, I rounded that curve and found that I had company! I wasn't completely alone after all. (It was kind of funny...that little deer was no more than 7 or 8 feet away from me when I saw it and it scared the shit out of me at first. LOL)

A little further along, I came upon a bench. A place to sit and rest for awhile if one was too tired to continue on. Or if you just wanted to sit and reflect on your surroundings...on where you've been and where you're going next. Notice how this bench was in a bright, sunny spot.

And then another bench. In one of the darker, more somber spots on this path. Sometimes you might want to sit and reflect in those darker places too. Maybe especially in those places. After all, it is the less sunny areas that tend to make you feel more sluggish and tired and more in need of rest.

You truly do have to pay attention to where you walk on this path. If you veer off to the side in either direction, you may stumble into a small ditch.

Other parts of the same trail were free of hazards like rocks and tree roots sticking out of the ground. Luckily, that seemed to happen when my attention needed to be focused somewhere other than where each step would land. Such as when danger lurked precariously overhead. (I swear, all it would take is a strong breeze and that thing was coming down!)

Along the way, there are plenty of directional markers...just to let you know that, yes, you are still on the correct trail, which way you need to go next, and that if you just continue to trudge along, you will eventually get to your destination.



















Sometimes, there are even reminders of how far you've come.



















I also discovered that sometimes you can come across a pleasant little surprise...something that you never even knew was there when you began your journey.



















Today's walk was good for me. (And I'm discovering that I really enjoy this walking in the park thing!) It reminded me that, although I don't know what lies ahead of me around all of the twists and turns, I have an idea of the general direction I'm headed. I've found that there are helpful reminders scattered about when I'm not sure which way to go. I've learned that, even when I'm in a valley, I can always make it back up to the top. I've learned that it's okay to trip sometimes...as long as I don't fall completely down. (And even if I do fall...it's okay as long as I pick myself back up.) I've realized that I'm never truly alone. And that it's okay to sit still and rest for awhile if I need to...as long as I don't stay in one spot too long.

I've learned that, while I do have a destination in mind, it's so important to be present where you are at on your journey right this very moment.

I'm trying to be present and enjoy and embrace every little detail. Even when I'm sitting on that shady bench for a little while.