A Walk

Happy Friday Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day, that you had an awesome week and that you are enjoying a great weekend with your family.

On Monday my Beautiful Bride and I celebrated our 24th Anniversary. I came home from work early to spend some time with her. We walked up to my 7-year old sons school to pick him up after school. We thought it would be fun to walk home with him and we wanted to look for a pen he had lost the previous Friday. You see, my Little Tender Warrior loves to write and draw and he had bought himself a red gel pen. Well, he put the pen in his pocket on the way home last Friday and by the time he got home it was no longer there. For him this was a big deal and he was very upset that he had lost his special pen.

As My Girl and I walked to his school holding hands and talking about life both of us were scanning our respective side of the sidewalk looking for the red pen. While we found a lot of trash and came to the realization that a lot of dog owners do not pick up after their pets, we found no pen.

We met our Little Dude by the gate where I told him I would be after school. He was so excited that we were going to walk home together. As we were leaving the school grounds he says, "you know I was thinkin', what is an Anniversary?" I asked him what he thought it meant. He said, "the day you met or something." I explained that it was the day that his Mom and I got married. He said, "Oh, you got married on March 1st." Monday was March 4th...I love 2nd graders!!

So as we were crossing the street we explained that as we walked down the sidewalk to the school we had scanned each side and, "we are sorry Buddy but we couldn't find your pen." You know that look of disbelief that a precious, innocent little child can give? You know, that incredulous look of "huh?!?!" Yeah, he gave us that look. And then, as if completely disappointed in us he say, "I don't walk on the sidewalk!" Stupid us! What were we thinking?!?!

Our fearless Tender Warrior then says he will lead us on the path he took on Friday. He begins singing as we set out and explains that he loves to sing. I am wondering what in the world I have gotten myself into. We walk behind bushes, under trees, backtrack because he is pretty sure he didn't go that way on Friday, we go over a bench, down a hill, walk on river rocks...I didn't go through that one bush though! My Little Man at one point says, "I love going on adventures!" I look to the street & sidewalk less than 10 yards away and think, "I had no idea there was such an adventure over here!" In all honesty I am having fun.

Our walk home probably took twice as long as our walk to the school. It was clearly not the most efficient route nor the most comfortable. I am so thankful for that walk and I learned a few things I would like to share:

1) If you have a song in your heart, sing it. Who cares if you sound good to someone else or what anyone else thinks? It's your heart, it's your song...sing it.

2) Anything can be a wonderful adventure if we choose to see it that way. This walk is less than half a mile. How in the world my Little Tender Warrior crammed so much into it I will never know. Then it hits me; I have to have the heart of a 7-year old to truly see the wonderful adventure in all things.

3) You know the expression "Success is about the journey." Yeah, we found the pen. Probably a little more than half way through the walk. There was this brief moment of excitement, checking to make sure it was o.k., securing it in the backpack, etc. And then we continued our walk/climb/hike home. It was no better or worse now because we had found the pen. It was about the journey, the adventure and it was still awesome because we were on it together.

Friends, I want to challenge all of us to sing the song in our hearts, embrace each day as the incredible adventure that it can be (the potential for adventure is in each day...we have to choose to seize it) and that we truly enjoy the journey. If you don't think you have a song to sing, if you think your life is dull & boring or if you dread the day to day, do me a favor. Go for a walk with a young child. Let them dictate the walk - when you stop (bugs & others "lost treasures" actually are interesting), when you go, where you go (forget about looking good, getting dirty, etc.) and just be fully present in the walk. If you will do this in a pure-hearted manner, if you will have a teachable spirit, you will get it.

Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and cherish your precious families.

Kev