Unintentional Life Lessons.

I really like taking my daughters hiking. There are so many life metaphors that present themselves on a trail.  Most are subtle. I hope they simmer, as so many lessons did in my head, until they are ready for consumption.

President's day was one of those crisp days that belonged more in fall than it did in winter.   Emily wanted to try out a new prime lens I had given her, so we took a late day trip to the preserve. Last week I found a new trail that I thought the girls would enjoy.  It was a natural trail, so there were no markers.  Lizzy was concerned that we might get lost so I said to her, "You should stop once in a while to look back and see where you came from, things look differently then when you are moving forward."

A few moments later I said what I say almost every hike, 'Look where you are going, remember where you have been.  You don't want to trip.".  This time, as always, it was meant for Lizzy.  She has an amazing habit of moving in one direction, while looking in another.

In both cases I chuckled when I realized the meanings of my words and how they pertained to not just the current situations but so many others. They are the unintentional life lessons I teach myself through my children.