I have been attempting to soak up the unusually warm temps as of late by walking.
My walks used to be filled with pets and little people, but more often than not nowadays, I walk with only my thoughts keeping me company.
My thoughts and, because I like to chat, other people I discover along the way.
To the older couple sitting on the bench together: Although I only met eyes with the husband while the wife lovingly tended to their dog on her lap, I am glad you smiled and waved back. I realize you didn’t see me at first while I watched you both looking at each other and talking about what I’d like to believe were days gone by. Living with growing confusion and disdain around how so many people have their noses in their phones and are so distracted. Wondering how everyone could voluntarily ignore such beauty all around them because they are too preoccupied with keeping track of how others are capturing their moments online.
But not you. You were choosing to remain focused on what was important, WHO was important, together. And I simply thought that was awesome.
To the young couple walking every which direction following one child while simultaneously pushing your baby around in a stroller: Oh do I remember those walks. Way back when, I can’t say I was too fond of those walks. Because there was more wandering than walking. More whining than appreciating. More sweating than soaking in the sun.
Today, however, I felt a tinge of sadness while watching you. Knowing that my children weren’t stressing me out on my walk because, well, they weren’t with me on my walk. Yes, had I asked any of them to, they would have accompanied dear old mom, but there would be no wandering off to play in the creek or swing on the weeping willow branches because they are growing out of such things.
What do the parenting experts say? You are doing something right if you feel like your kid can make solid independent choices without you. What they don’t tell you in any parents’ guide is that seeing your child make independent choices doesn’t always make your heart swell with pride. Sometimes that realization makes your heart ache for days gone by. Days when you pushed the inconsolable baby in the stroller while chasing down a wild toddler.
To the neighborhood kid who always says hi and acts wiser and friendlier than most adults: I love the fact that you warmly welcome conversation. I am amazed by your life’s journey even at the tender age of 11. As the son of an airman, you’ve seen far more of this world than I have. You acknowledged how different it is to live in the Midwest rather than on the coast. It makes me smile to hear how you are looking forward to playing catcher this summer and why you like that position more than pitching, and how you’ll be painting your nails in neon so your guy can see the right signals.
I hope you enjoyed the movie you were so anxious to see this afternoon. And I wish you luck this baseball season.
To the strangers on my walk today, don’t be a stranger.
Written by Heidi Woodard
maternalmedia 
Lovely. I have come to enjoy my walks so much, though I do have my own phone pointed to the pretty things. And despite that I have some, shall we say, more hostile people along my path, I appreciate those who take time to take the time.
I hope you have many such walks in your life, and i hope will come to accept that however large, smart, and distant your kids grow, you will they will most often visit your dreams as children….
I keep waiting for the warmer weather to linger a bit. We are teased around this time of year, as we are every year in the Midwest, with bursts of unexpected warmth followed by bitter coldness. I am counting down the days until I can walk more regularly without layers and grumbling. Catch me again in two months and I’ll be complaining about how hot it is. Ha!
That was lovely. Oh how I selfishly miss your writing when living your life pulls you away from it. 🙂 It’s interesting you chose this topic. Just earlier today I was contemplating my weekday lunch walks. I used to enjoy walking with only my thoughts, no headphones, no podcasts. My walks were when I sorted things out and planned my big plans. After my mom passed away I didn’t want to walk at all. Thankfully, I had something better. That’s when you and I were able to meet for lunches on a regular basis! Something that brought me more comfort and stability than I can ever explain. (Thank you for that, my friend.) When our lunch years had to come to an end, I went back to walking. But I still wasn’t ready to walk alone with my thoughts. I started listening to podcasts while I walked. It helped me take a break from work but keep my mind occupied. Now I think the podcast lunch years might be coming to an end. I still listen to them at other times, but with all the stresses of life and the constant barrage of information all day, I think I’m ready to turn off my headphones and bring my lunch break walks back to my thoughts and observations about the world around me on my path. I’m taking your post as a sign to start tomorrow. Thank you again for your impeccable timing. 🙂
I hope you’ve enjoyed several of those walks since the time you left this comment, Shannon! Yes, different life “seasons” come and go. The hard ones make us appreciate the fun ones even more. 🙂