Five Stick Friday

Laurie Tanner Henry and I decided to go over to Green Meadows Preserve and walk down in the woods after lunch. It’s important for me to get out and walk with the neuropathy I’m fighting with in both feet, and with Copper no longer with us, I was glad to have Laurie with me today.

As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, the back half of 2024 has been rough from a “losing people you care about or having people you care about lose their special someone” perspective. I’ve lost a fraternity brother, have 4 female friends who’ve lost their husbands, and a friend lose their Mom shortly after losing her brother.

As we walked through the main meadow, we were surrounded by vast expanses of dead grey and ugly wildflowers. I even mumbled to myself…”perfect setting for a not so perfect chapter”… and just as I let that thought die, I saw this little splash of color peaking out of the dead doldrums of grey. A glimmer of life in a sea of death. A ray of hope in ugly darkness.

I’d like to think the Man Upstairs was shaking me by the shoulders to say…”Guess what? You’re still here! Sure you may have some aches and pains in your feet… but you’re here and walking with this wonderful bride I made just for you… so quit your bellyaching!”

In the end we only walked a little over a mile and a half. We talked about the kids, about Davis being engaged, a little about Portugal, and when I knew my feet were not gonna put up with much more we routinely made it back to the car.

But this wasn’t just a walk. It was a reminder. Count your blessings every day my friends. Every. Single.Day.