The Beautiful Gifts Of Life

I fell down. The patch of ice I encountered on my walk took my feet out from under me and left me in a pile of mud. As I sat there in the cold mud, I first laughed at myself and the situation that just happened, and then I got back up and continued on the last 3 miles of my hike, a little dirty but still wildly capable. The thought never occurred to me while I was sitting there to stay in the pile of mud. Talking about it now makes me question why that would ever be a thought in my mind, and applying it to my life I realize how many times I've let myself sit in the mud for too long. I'm here by myself hiking and there was nobody to hold my hand and get me up. I made the decision to stand up out of the mud and continue my walk. Just a week ago, I was crying in my car. It was one of those messy cries you just have to surrender to, and I was angry with myself for letting it happen. If we get angry at ourselves every time we experience a big emotion or a situation we didn't plan for, how are we ever going to learn to enjoy life? It doesn't always have to be so serious and sometimes you just need to sit and laugh about it even if you're completely alone in a pile of mud on a trail in the woods. While in my car, I let myself get so deep in the mud. I didn't want to get out. And as I sat in the mud today, I realized sometimes you just don't have a choice. When things get hard or messy you find a strength within you to pull yourself out of it, no matter what the circumstances may be. You are in total control of your ability to get out of the mud. I also learned that it's okay to laugh at yourself sometimes and finish your walk even being covered in mud because there's nothing else that you can do about it. To sit there and cry about something that you have no control over takes away from the beauty of nature and the enjoyment of the hike itself. So, as I continue my walk, I'm telling myself that life doesn't always go as planned, and sometimes you don't get through the day without a little dirt on your shoes, but no matter what you still get through the day, the hike, or the moment, and that is a beautiful accomplishment.