Consider This Bench

Last week I was out walking with a friend. We did our typical stroll, down our favorite streets, into our favorite neighborhoods. As we always do, we spend time chatting about current events, politics, his work and my looking for work and then, of course, the mundane.

Ours is an endearing walk, always with purpose and meaning. We do it like no other because we are genuine, steadfast and true, always living in the moment, cherishing the bond we share.

Our conversations are effortless. There is rhyme, reason and rhythm to all that we do. Month after month, year after year, and season after season we make it our goal to step outside ourselves and into what brings us an abundance of joy, which solidifies our friendship.

It feeds into our endurance, thus a one hour walk turning into four, and those conversations grow, forming layer upon layer leading to understanding, purpose and above all else, gratitude.

I can honestly say, there has never been a dull moment between the two. I think he would agree I give more than I get, and that’s because I’m the talker and he’s usually the listener (or maybe he just can’t get a word in edge wise). That has been changing over time because it appears I’m becoming more of a listener, as my blog posts can attest.

The beauty of what we do and the precision it takes to do it comes from mutual respect. We appreciate the excitement and passion of how the other tells a story and we drink it in, finding and applying the purpose and meaning to our life as individuals and as a team.

During our most recent walk, my friend told me there was a sister bench to the one we found on the Stony Run Trail during the summer. (Check out: Hidden Treasure, to learn more about this bench).

For those who don’t know there is a journaling revolution going on in this country. You can travel to parks, trails and other places and find benches that have a journal attached to them, giving anyone a chance to sit, reflect and write, thus a greater opportunity to connect with the world at large.

So, during my walk, my friend tells me there is this sister bench. He gives me a few clues to find it, but won’t tell me exactly where it’s located. Let me just say, this doesn’t rest well with me. I’m one of those people who doesn’t get upset when someone tells the plot of a movie or spoils a surprise. I want to know! I’m more inclined to go crazy if you don’t tell me the whole story, once you've started.

He tells me to find this bench on my own, and I’m thinking he should go with me and point it out so that we can enjoy this experience together like we did with the bench on the Stony Run trail. After asking a few times over the course of an hour, he doesn’t give in and we move on to other topics.

Yesterday morning (late AM), I decided to take a walk. For the past few days my mind has been preoccupied with a few things that need resolution, and the solutions are not so readily available. To escape that which has left me a bit uncertain, I took a stroll through my neighborhood to lighten my mood and move my brain into a more positive direction.

What I liked about my walk was looking up to see a cloudy sky, and under my feet were dried leaves that made a distinct sound when I stepped on them. A light drizzle of rain would come and go, and there were church bells ringing in the distance every hour on the hour. It was a gloomy, romantic autumn day, and it set the tone for what I would find later.

While I was out I took pictures and mediated. It wasn’t too long before I thought of the bench; trying to remember the clues my friend gave me. I couldn’t exactly remember what he said, and I was going to call him, but then immediately told myself, NO! If he didn’t share the experience with me then, he’s not going to be apart of it now.

Much to my surprise I found the bench. I really should say I stumbled onto it. I was looking to take some pictures of the courtyard of a church not too far from my home, and guess what? The bench was tucked away to the left of a path that led to the courtyard.

I sat on the bench, pulled out the journal that was tucked into a cavity under the seat and began reading. As I read the words of those who penned their thoughts I found my heart becoming heavy and my eyes filling with tears. How could anyone not be moved by the stories between these pages? There was so much sadness, grief, loneliness, people with challenges and feeling lost.

I realized that my tears were not born out of sadness, but happiness. So many people responded to those sad souls, penning their own thoughts of prayers and hope. There was no judgment or manipulation, just understanding and concern.

I somehow needed those stories today. I think I was looking for my own hope because I allowed myself to feel a bit hopeless over the past few days. I didn’t find that bench; it found me, and the stories I read reaffirmed what I have always known, that I am never alone, there is always someone out there walking the same journey, there is always hope if you believe and there is goodness in everyone, some people just don’t know it yet.

Many of you will never make it to that bench, and I wish you could so that you had an opportunity to read those stories that touched my heart and I’m certain would touch yours, too. I had my trusty camera with me and took some pictures so that I could include a few of those stories in this post for you to read. I hope you enjoy them, because I know I did.

Dear friend, you gave me a gift without ever knowing what it was. You allowed me to find something at the right time that would restore my faith in humanity and, more importantly, in myself. Dear Reader, I hope you’ll consider this bench (or any other) to sit, read, reflect, write and share. Enjoy! – paerki

Read: Stories From A Bench