WHERE THE SIDEWALK ENDS

THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WHEN I STARTED OUT ON MY WALK TODAY WAS A RATHER HAUNTING CHALK MESSAGE JUST OUTSIDE OF OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD SCHOOL …. “I MISS….” .  THIS GOT ME THINKING ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE ARE MISSING NOW- NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH THIS CHILD MIGHT HAVE BEEN THINKING…”I MISS MY FRIENDS, MY TEACHERS, MY SCHOOL, MY LESSONS.”

AND I NOTICED THAT THE CHILDREN AROUND MY NEIGHBOURHOOD HAD TAKEN CHALK TO THEIR SIDEWALKS WITH ALL SORTS OF MESSAGES.  THERE WERE BEST WISHES FOR A BIRTHDAY.  THERE WAS A ‘THANK-YOU’ FOR OUR ‘FRONTLINE WORKERS’, THE MANY NURSES, DOCTORS, DRIVERS AND CAREGIVERS AROUND OUR CITY AND IN OUR WORLD.

THE SIDEWALK LED ME TO OUR ALEXANDER CIRCLE WHERE 2 BEAUTIFUL, SISTERS WITH BRILLIANT WHITE HAIR SAT TOGETHER (YET APART) HAVING A CONVERSATION NEAR THE FOUNTAIN. THE FOUNTAIN IS DRY RIGHT NOW BUT THE GROUND IS WET AS THE SNOWS CONTINUE TO MELT.  BUT I HAVE FAITH THAT OUR FOUNTAIN WILL FLOW AGAIN THIS SUMMER BRINGING MORE BEAUTY TO THE AREA AS THE LIGHT SPARKLES UPON AND THROUGH THE WATER.  THE GRASS WILL GREEN UP AND THE PERENNIALS WILL RETURN TOO.

MYSTERY FOOTPRINTS BID ME CONTINUE ON.

NEXT UP SOME CHILD’S DRAWINGS THAT CELEBRATE EASTER. LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM A TIME OF INNOCENCE AND THE HOPE OF NEW LIFE.

THERE WAS A MARK THAT LOOKED LIKE A CROSS.  A BLUE CROSS AND THIS MADE ME THINK AGAIN OF THE STORIES OF COVID AND YES, IT IS STARTING TO PERSONALLY TOUCH MY LIFE AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE GET ILL…AND NOW I KNOW SOME OF THEM. 

AND AS I WALKED ON ALONE DOWN THESE MANY SIDEWALKS I CAME UPON A SIGN ,”SHARED PATHWAY” AND IT REMINDED ME THAT I AM NOT ACTUALLY ALONE ON THIS WALK. THAT THERE IS SOMEONE WALKING WITH ME . SOMEONE I CAN LEAN ON AS I WALK FORWARD, HEAD SOMETIMES BOWED WITH FEAR OR GRIEF. 

I HEAR A CHIME OF A BELL AND IT REMINDS ME TO SHARE MY PATH . AND I LIFT MY HEAD AND SMILE.