Mimi's Wishing Well

I learned an important lesson today as I was out walking my dogs. Here it is:

Sometimes you have no choice but to walk through the mud. And, when you do, it isn't as bad as it first seemed.

From my lesson, you can surmise that the dogs and I were walking on some muddy trails today. It was not just a little mud. The puddles were more like quicksand. When I first approached one of these areas, my first inclination was to find a way around the mud. But, there wasn't a way around. I was in the woods and there were thick trees and bushes on either side of the trail.

I also considered turning around and going to the paved trail. But, when you have a dog that is as stubborn as Bear, it isn't that easy to turn around. He sits down and refuses to move. Sure, I could have carried him back. He only weighs 10 pounds. But, he was already incredibly muddy and I figured mud on my feet would be better than mud in my arms. So, through the mud I tromped.

The mud was so thick and squishy that I sunk in far past my soles. The mud and water oozed into my mesh shoes and soaked my feet through. I may as well been barefoot. Yes, it was quite yucky. But, it was actually a kind of "cool yucky" feeling. And, even though my feet were soaked, the sensation of hiking with wet feet was not nearly as bad I had thought it might be.

As I proceeded on through the woods, I quickly came to the realization that walking through the mud was worth it. It was such a beautiful Spring morning. Green leaves were starting to poke through the soil. The wind was soft and warm. I heard frogs for the first time this year! And, the dogs had a blast chasing each other in circles around me. Had I not gone through the mud, I realized, I would not have enjoyed the wonderful experience that nature had to offer me this morning.

So, now you are probably wondering why I am telling you this. After all, this blog is supposed to be about Mom. Mom has cancer. She is undergoing chemo and soon radiation. And, I am talking about my dirty feet? But, there is a correlation.

Mom is walking through mud right now. Lots of mud. Everyone who loves her is also on that walk. None of us chose this. If we could turn around or walk around it, we would. But, we can't. So we trudge on. And, as we do, we realize that it isn't as bad as we initially thought. Certainly, it is rough. But, we are getting through it. One day at a time. And every night, we wash our feet off. And every morning we put our boots back on. Some days are muddier than others. But, some days are really wonderful. Some days we even find treasures in the mud that we would not be aware of if we were not on this walk.

So, bring it on Spring! I can take the mud. Because, I know that summer is just around the corner.