Walking

Sunday afternoon Jaydon, Sawyer, and I headed out into the beautiful afternoon.  He rode his bike (with one training wheel attached, I'm sad to say) and I walked Sawyer.  As we walked along I found myself reminiscing about my walking habit.  I'm not sure when I really started the habit of walking.  I remember when we lived in a small town north of here that after the children went to bed I would head out for a walk (no, they were not home alone, their father was with them!).  I know I fell out of the habit for a while but I really don't remember when I started going for a walk early every evening.  I remember taking occassional family walks in our neighborhood, and then I remember it being just Stephanie and me.  Then we added Sniffles, our lab mix who had not endeared herself to me as a puppy.  I think she knew the walking was a way to bond with me and redeem herself, and she did just that.  I also remember the addition of a good friend and neighbor and her daughters to our walking habit.  We had some very enjoyable evenings together.

Then for a while I walked alone with no dogs and in a new neighborhood, faithfully every evening.  Then came another new neighborhood and a house to take care of and grandchildren to love.  My walks were every now and then and I really fell out of the habit of walking daily.  But now I have dogs and, like on Sunday, another little one to walk with me.  So I've started the nightly walk routine again.  Tonight I took all 3 dogs with me and they did great, so I have no excuse not to walk. 

Why do I like to walk?  It is good exercise, I get to be out of doors, and it empties my mind.  I can walk for 30 minutes and think about a lot of things or just nothing.  I see many people in my neighborhood walking or running so I'm not the only one that has caught on to this idea.  Not sure how I got started with it, but I'm definitely going to continue!