Rise and Meet the Day

WOO-HOO from Mile Marker 10,000!

Guess who just walked 10,000 miles on a prosthetic leg??

This kid!

I'm gonna keep this postcard short, but I didn't want it to get lost in the mail.

Long story short, I almost missed 10,000...

I mean, not the mile itself.  That would have happened anyway.  

But the moment of stepping over that threshold.

Noticing the mile.

Marking it.
Making time for it.

Celebrating it.

Honestly, I didn't even realize it was upon me until the afternoon before.  

It arrives in the midst of another difficult week -- on a day of even more setbacks for those I love most.  

All I want is to shoulder the weight for them.  Taking a step forward is the last thing on my mind.

At sunset, I tell my morning miles buddies, "I just don't know if I can walk tomorrow."

And then tomorrow comes.  Anyway.

And I get up.

And get my leg on.

And get dressed.  

And at 7 AM, I hit the sidewalk.  

Walking is a practice, kind of like hope.  We rise and meet each day.  Take one tentative step after another.

If we're lucky (like I am), we learn it from those who walk with us along the way.

At Mile 10,000, I step outside to find the only two people on Earth who can turn a walk around the block...

...into a block party!

Complete with signs of the times,

and cheerful reminders,

and sidewalk hazards,

and helpful hints,

and our usual (unusual!) landmarks,

and, of course, coffee!

I even add some designs of my own.

It's just a regular morning mile... 

...with even more friends sprinkled along the way!

Mile 10,000 is filled with small, quiet, unexpected joy.  

We're back home in a matter of minutes.  

(It reminds me of Mile 10, from my earliest walking days with Dad!)

In other words, it's just what I need.

Walking 10,000 miles on a prosthetic leg is a pretty big accomplishment.  But at this particular milestone, here's what will stick with me most:

I almost DIDN'T GO.

Moving forward is a practice too.  A leap of faith.  No matter how quiet, or unexpected, or small the steps are.

I want to notice them.

Celebrate them.

Make time for them. 

Even before sunrise.

Mile 10,000 isn't a finish line.  Like each new day, it's another chance to keep going.

Thank you for 10,000 miles and so much more.

Walk on,

Rebecca

P.S.  Some steps find a soundtrack in my mind.  At Mile 10,000, it's a song from one of my favorite artists.  Click here to hear what's playing.