It’s that time of year for lots of baseball games, sweaty school days, and plenty of optimism and faith coursing through the walls of the Academy. And yes we have to remember that Wally keeps us consistent and on point- can’t have him going without walks ya know. And I mention the walks because that is what we need to do on our journey. Keep walking. Look down at our feet and put one foot in front of the other. Or, if you rather- Lather. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Because when the path is rocky, jagged, filled with seemingly insurmountable slippery slabs of punishment you still gotta walk the dog.

“I found it…got it…now let’s go eat dinner,” I said to Brave Maeve. Then, filled with the pride and joy one gets when finding the forever getting lost AirPods , I turned and proceeded up the stairs intent on sharing the joy with the Real Boss and celebrating with some fabulous food. Maeve and I had peered and poked, as we searched and joked. Keeping a smile on our faces as we knew we would find what we were looking for…if only we kept at it. And we did. So what? Well, we exemplified perseverance and patience and now joy of finding the pod. Thus, we had PEACE. But the story did not end happily ever after right there.

Nope. My stories never end. Ask anyone who has ever heard me tell one. I will go on forever. But, I am learning to be more concise. So in that vein- let me tell you what happened after I found the pod. I exploded up the stairs. And then my right knee decided to explode as well. Which was unfortunate as my left shoulder was still in a sling as a wounded wing. Yet, God gave me the ability to follow Chubby Checker’s exhortation to Twist and Shout. So, I’m fine. Sort of. Just as Sal and Al would soon be dancing on their cruise down the Mississippi, there I was doing the same thing. Only problem was when I was twisting and shouting, my right tibia fractured. I think I need to cruise on the Mississippi River -maybe a gambling boat? I mean, it appears that a simple walk can be a gamble for me and Wally anyway. If it costs an arm and a leg- I can float that… I’d like to replace a couple of those anyway.

I did not make it to the dinner table that night. My chair provided a safer place to assess the damage. And there was damage. So, I had to pivot again and place my fate in the hands of doctors who told me to rest. Ah- Rest. To me that is worse than a test. It is a challenge. But I am resting now. Got no choice. Time for me to rest and recover to keep walking. Because if you don’t rest and get your peace you cannot stay in one piece. Ya know? So there I was, staring up at the steps wondering how many more there will be. Steps, that is.

And the answer is there will always be steps. And life doesn’t always come with those escalators I’d like to put in my castle…so I am going to find a way up those steps. One way or another. It will take time. And effort. But I think that when you keep walking the dog, rowing the boat, or searching for AirPods, you have to keep going. Now, when your leg is broken, and you are sentenced once again to the hammock to rest…well- you hope that your shoulder is healing well enough so you can at least write. Because if I can’t rest here with a keyboard and a Keep Out sign, then I may cry. Of course, to be honest if I keep climbing the stairs I might go past bedrooms that need to be cleaned. I digress…I will stay here and rest. In my chair. Out of harm’s way. Until I can rise again and walk the dog myself. Until then…I will rest. And keep my peace. In one piece. God willing.

Thanks for Coming!