Through the Dirt

Those of you who've been reading along with me for a while know I generally don't much care for weekends anymore. I didn't always dread weekends, you know ... my weekends used to bring with them a flurry of activity. When my kids were living at home, most of that activity revolved around them ... sporting events, sleepovers with their friends, church functions and too many more to list. Even after Matt, Brad and Meg moved out, though, my weekends used to be filled with my own activities ... speaking for women's groups, outings with friends, volunteering at a retirement center, being deeply involved in my church. Most of my weekends now bring with them a lot of time alone with my couch and my dogs Julie and Ollie ... but once in a while ... once in a while, I have a weekend that reminds me ... a weekend that beckons me ... a weekend that warms me ... a weekend that fills my heart with the knowledge that though I may be lonely, I am not alone. 

From doctor's appointments to running errands to spending time with dear friends in from out of town to an extra-long Skype session with my favorite little Canadian, Saturday proved to keep me abundantly busy and far from lonely. Yesterday, I drove to Brad's and spent the afternoon cheesing it up for the camera with Brad and Jason. You may recall me mentioning a secret project Brad, Jason and I have been working together on for the past year or so ... yesterday's photo shoot was for PR pics for the project. By the way, this week I'll fill in some details about the project in preparation for a special announcement on June 1st. Following the lengthy smile session, I drove to meet Meghann and Barrett for dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant. We ate a ton of food ... a great big old gigantic ton of food ... as we sat at the table and talked and talked and talked. As I hugged and kissed them goodbye, I was suddenly keenly aware of just how much I love my kids ... all six of them ... of how deeply I treasure my little C.J. ... of how excited I am to meet her new baby sister.

I'm sure you're wondering by now what tonight's title has to do with my wonderfully busy weekend ... you know there's a reason I chose that particular title ... there's always a reason, right? A few posts ago I mentioned the construction that's going on across the street from my house ... construction that has turned my two normal walking routes into piles of dirt and gravel. Even though Ollie and I have been navigating our way through the dirt for the last couple of weeks, it wasn't until this morning that I was struck with the enormous lesson that has ... well ... that has been right under my feet and Ollie's paws all along. See, here's the thing ... I can't jump on the path like I could before ... now I have to walk through the dirt and navigate around the rocks in order to find my way to the trail. I was bawling by the time Ollie and I got back home this morning ... the big lessons often come with lots and lots of tears.

It will be several months before the construction on the trail is completed which means that Ollie and I will be walking through the dirt and around the rocks for quite some time. It's kind of a pain right now, but after a while, it will be a better, smoother, safer path for us to walk. It's a lot like life, you know ... sometimes I have to walk through the dirt and find my way around the rocks if I want to stay on the trail. Sometimes it's hard to imagine a day when the dirt and rocks will go away ... sometimes it seems like they'll be there forever. But ... but ... but ... walking through the dirt to get to the trail is making my legs stronger ... walking around the rocks is causing me to contemplate and measure each step I take ... reaching the path means more to me than it ever has before.

Through the dirt ... through the dirt ... through the dirt. Think about it.