LIFE PATH

My life’s path has been around a few hair raising bends lately and it’s been a case of “hold on tight” as part of me screamed “I want to get off!”

The last two weekends have included long walks.  The first one was with my Yorkshire Terrier, Vito.  It was in aid of a charity and was 5km. Easy I thought.  I walk him every day, so it should be a doddle!

It started well on solid ground and then went “off path” to fields which had been drenched with melted snow and torrential rain.  Needless to say my waterproof snow boots sunk deep into the sqelchy earth and the mud stuck like huge clumps onto the soles of my boots!  (and I discovered they are not waterproof!)Following the route, I pulled my feet from the mud only to squelch deeper with the next step, but onward I continued, determined to complete the route, after all I’d started so I had to finish! 

Halfway through the route, there was a huge puddle or the choice of jumping over a small stream.  I chose what I believed to be the safer option and followed other people into the puddle, but alarmingly as I stepped to the left, my legs went knee deep into the freezing water.  My leggings and coat were drenched and as I scrambled out, I felt complete embarrassment!  There was no choice but to continue walking the route, wet, freezing cold and needing the toilet!  My dog continued to pull me forward and 30 minutes later, we’d done it!  Nothing a hot shower and the washing machine couldn’t fix.

Yesterday, another walk in the forest, through squelchy, slippery mud and puddles, made me more mindful of not risking deep puddles and luckily I remained upright, completing the long walk of one and half hours.

It proved that a boundless potential exists inside everyone of us. That infinite joy and immense freedom you see in little children...it's really inside each one of us as we set ourselves goals and complete them.  It gives a real sense of achievement.

So the country walks reflected back to me, life’s path which at times is slippery and sticky, but if we continue to walk one foot in front of the other we finally reach our destination and when we look back, we realise how far we’ve come.