From Bea's Porch

The pressure to have a dream is just pressure to be seen doing something.

“What’s your 5-year plan?” They ask. I shrug. Make something up. I’m tired of explaining that I don’t even know what I’ll be doing 6 months from now.

Life starts feeling like a race. Who can reach the next milestone the fastest, and rest the least? Who has the proper form, the right equipment, the best knowledge of the route?

I’d rather have my life be more of a hiking trail than a race. I want to take my time, wander along instead of counting down the miles until I “arrive” at a destination others chose for me.

When I come to a fork in the trail, I’ll make my next decision. When I come to a bridge, I’ll cross it. Instead of racing the crowd, I’d rather hike alongside a few trusted companions, swapping granola bars and holding out helpful hands.

There will still be hills to climb. My legs will burn from the uphill struggle, from the trials that come from living and learning. I might get some gravel in my hiking boots, picking up some sadness along the way.

But sometimes the long, slow path is the most rewarding.

You reach the top of the mountain and you realize the view is better than you could have dreamed.

I want my life to be a hiking trail. 🥾

~Bea