Mile Stones

When I run in rural Pennsylvania which is where the majority of my running life has taken place, I would run the same handful of routes every day.  I came to feel as though I knew every little stone on the paths I would take.  There was a sense that I could tell if something was out of place.  As if I could tell the changes that had taken place even in my absence. 

Life for me is often the same way.  I feel like I know the stones I'll encounter along the way.  Many are ones others wouldn't even notice.  I feel like I can sense changes even if I wasn't part of that change. Through the years of our lives there are all kinds of stones that present themselves on our path; some are large perfectly shaped and beautiful, while others are barely noticeable until we arms spinning, balance failing have caught our toe on them.  There are stones that we expect to encounter and others that catch us by surprise.  One thing is the same about all the stones that litter our paths they provide us with a moment to show what we are really made of.  We can allow their size or quantity to overwhelm us and send us crashing to the ground or we can find the beauty in all of them as they add texture to our lives.

May you know the stones on the path of your life and may you greet them all with grace.

for my daughter.  Who meets all life's stones with grace.