SOUL CrossTraining

I come upon two paths at the bottom of the hill. A well-trodden path with a strong, solid footing converges with a dangerous trench that has been carved out from the summer storms and water runoff. The trench is now mostly dry with only hints of the surge of water that has edged away the defining boundary between safe and dangerous. I am struck by the proximity between these two very different paths -- how easy it would be to wander off the path and slip into the trench. The edge of the path has been eroding -- it is jagged, weakened -- if you were to walk to close your foot would likely slip and you would find that you have fallen into the trench. In some ways following the unpredictable, potentially dangerous path is inviting and seems adventurous-- to traverse the worn, ragged dry creek bed -- but I sense the danger and it feels ominous. This two paths are really diverging paths. di-verge (verb) 1. to move, lie, or extend in different directions from a common point; branch off. 2. t...

Whether I am reading a book, watching a movie, or listening to someone share -- I absolutely love a great story. I love watching the plot develop and I especially love the possibilities surrounding each new beginning. I hate endings. Closing the page of a book I've loved, the screen fading to black and the credits rolling after I've enjoyed a good movie, and a chapter in my life coming to a conclusion that has been life changing. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us . Ralph Waldo Emerson My daughter and I are in the process of turning the page of an incredible chapter. The details are too many to describe. Yesterday, we said goodbye to Tiger's Edition, affectionately known as Eddy, our 12 year old, thoroughbred. Today, both Chelsea and Eddy begin a new chapter. In the spring of 2006, Eddy was adopted by us through New Vocations -- a race horse adoption group located in Ohio. He came to us very green with little experi...