Lessons from a Walk

Today was one of those days.

Those perfect days.

A day off from school.
A day spent doing the things I love:

Reading,

Writing,

Baking,

Time with family.

I knew I needed to take Rose for a walk,

And yet,

I put it off.

It had to wait until after…

The reasons piled up.

I don’t know why I always do this.

I have never come home from a walk,

A run,

A yoga session,

Regretting I went.

It is the getting out the door that gets me every time.

And yet,

Each walk brings an unexpected gift.

Time to be outside,

Time to talk to neighbors.

One walk recently

Gave me the chance to visit our former sheriff.

To talk to him about his dog.
To walk a bit together.

To share a grocery bag/ poop bag,

Since he had forgotten his own.

Another walk found a young girl,

Sprinting from her house.

She had to be about seven or eight,

And wanted so badly to touch Rose.

After she had hugged her,

She stood up and told me,
“Thank you. My dog is in the hospital.”

My own eyes brimmed with tears as we walked away.

She shouted good-bye until she could see us no longer.

Today’s walk brought an unexpected gift,

A forgotten memory.

I came upon a storm sewer.

And I remembered Luke,

He couldn’t have been more than three or four.

We were on this same walk,

With his little brother in the stroller.

I remember his excited cries,

“Mommy, the Ninja Turtles are down there.”

And how he hopped out of the stroller,

Crouched over the inlet,

Searching for the turtles,

Calling their names.

I’ve walked by this spot,

Many, many times over the past nine years,

But had forgotten the story.

One more time,

I realized the blessings of a walk.

A bit of exercise,

A chance to get Rose’s energy out,

A time to talk to people –

New acquaintances and old,

And a time to remember.

Time certainly does fly,

But I’m grateful for every moment.