We Walked Together

I walked with my friend yesterday. I have walked with her for many years. We have shared so many chapters of each others lives. We have walked together in laughter and walked together in silence. When we started walking we carried babies on our back then the children ran ahead of us and then they were gone.

My friend and I have walked as seasons changed. We met in the Springtime of our lives. It was the season of "Hello." We walked together in the Summer when the days became hazy and hot, sometimes choosing to exchange our walk for a swim in the pool. When Autumn came with it's cool breezy wind and amber and golden colored leaves our walk became a hike in the mountains. We have walked together and shared in each other's seasons.

The air was cool and scented with primrose and honeysuckle yesterday. We paused several times to let the beauty that surrounded us seep into our souls. We stood side by side observing and absorbing the beauty that surrounded us. We could have walked alone and it would have still been beautiful but sometimes sharing an experience makes it complete.

We walked together yesterday as friends sharing the beauty of the day and the gift of friendship but we shared still more. A little over a month ago my friend's husband died suddenly. I have not walked the path of grief that she walks now but still in the mornings we meet. Our conversation is a mixture of sorrow and hope of pain and of beauty. As we walk together through the seasons of our lives we share both joy and sorrow.

Father, Your word teaches me to share the burdens of others. Thank You for giving me a friend to walk with. Thank You for being present with us each step of the way, in every season marked by laughter or by tears.