August 16, 2020. Our hike today started a bit, well, grumpy. A number of us were tired and hot. We’d forgotten our bug spray and started to worry about what that meant for our time in the woods.
We’d committed to hiking but now the task seemed daunting. It was a short 2 mile loop on the Ice Age trail, yet, each step we took up the steep hill at the start felt exhausting. Our grumpies all started fueling each other’s grumpies until we got to the top of the first hill and had to take a pause. We realized it was going to be a REALLY long and unpleasant two miles if our current attitudes persisted.
As we paused, we took a moment to consider our choices. We always have choices! We could continue hiking and adjust our attitudes. We could turn back and not hike. We could walk slower. We could jog through the buggy parts. There are always choices! The kids decided we’d keep hiking and adjust our attitudes. They chose to do that through gratitude. They started listing things they were grateful for and looked for opportunities to recognize and affirm the good in each other. Nick and I followed their lead.
The circumstances hadn’t changed. We were all still tired. There were still bugs. We still didn’t have bug spray. But, gratitude carried us through the hike today. It changed our entire outlook! Our two mile adventure was filled with silliness, laughter, and the occasional mosquito bite.
KNEP Hikes 