This morning when I stepped outside my front door for my walk, I paused and decided to take my walk opposite on the route I usually took. Anything to add a bit of variety to the routine I have faithfully followed for the many months of social distancing!! Live a little, I told myself!
Who knew that walking clockwise around the lake had directional signs for right behavior concerning the lake and pathway? I had never read “Clean up after Your Pet,” or “catch and release fishing,”or deposit trash here.”
I discovered that my uphill pull came half way during my walk and not at the very end. Laughing at my self for thinking a walk whether forward or backward changes your destination, I arrived safely back to my front stoop refreshed and a bit wiser.
Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher, said “Life must be lived forward, but can only be understood backward.” I absolutely embrace this as I find I spend a lot of time “remembering .” As I hike, or read a book, or embrace a moment of reflection, my mind immediately turns to a remembrance, sweet to recall, and many times more clear than yesterday!
So, for all of you have aging (I hate that word) loved ones, when they tend to talk about the past, know that they are just understanding how all those past happenings made them who they are today.
Sorry daughters, I know I do this a lot. Know that all of those memories are sweet on my mind. And for many of them, I just now understand how important they were in my life.
ellenblose.blog 
Love your writings Ellen.Memories of the past give me hope for the future knowing that God is truly in control. Keep writing and sharing.
I enjoyed reading your blogs. Your writing is eloquent and introspective. My name is Jo Ellen. I graduated from Montevideo High School in 1974. I happened to see you today out in public and thought I recognized you therefore, prompting me to search you and thus, finding your blog.
I remember you and your family well. I played basketball in high school my junior and senior year. I was always very shy and quiet but athletics kept me from being totally invisible. I remember always seeing you and your husband at athletic events and being so supportive. My parents or family members did not attend any of my games but that was okay. It can have its benefits sometimes. I don’t remember the words but I remember you saying something to me at one of the games that made me realize that someone was paying attention to me and that I had value and was capable of achieving something. I loved participating in sports and had the internal drive to push myself to the limit and to learn what I could with what little resources I had. I had no outside pressure to perform. I didn’t have to please anyone. It was in my nature. I now know that if it weren’t for the positive influences and words from people like you in my life, however brief, that my passion, eagerness to do my best, and my curiosity about the world I live in would have died out. We need one another in all walks of life.
I look forward to reading more of your posts.
Jo Ellen
Oh my, goodness, Jo Ellen! You just made my day! Thank you for your kind words to me…I Don’t think we do enough of that in the world today, and that is one reason that I write. I am further inspired to do so when I hear from people like you who find some small nugget that might make their day a little bit better even if just for a moment. Keep in touch and tell me more about you and your family….my 7 girls are well and very supportive of me as an eighty-two year old. Again thank you for reaching out to me.
No Ellen ….I love historic fiction. Right now I am reading The Nightengale by Kristin Hannah. World War II novel about two sisters in France
I will have check it out!
Y
Hit the wrong key. The Nightengale by Kristin Hannah….world war II story of two sisters in France.