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Nine Month Mile Marker


A serious drought took South Dakota hostage when I was young.  Our cows were shipped to grass in Wyoming until the rain came back.  On a trip to check cows with Dad, I learned the markers of the road. Mile markers fascinated me.  A great tool for someone as impatient as I.


Maybe it was intentional instruction... pretty sure it was my countless questions.  Nevertheless, I learned to rely on those markers through the years and miles driving alone.

They became a sense of security.  A visual of where I had come from and where I was going.

For the last twenty years, I've established my own set of markers lining the edges of my family's journey. 

Today became one of these markers... my middle son became a senior and my youngest a freshman.  

When my senior came up the stairs early this morning and mentioned that he had 9 months to figure out what comes next in his life...

I secretly agreed... I have 9  months as well.

What's up with 9 months?  I had 9 months to meet each new baby boy.  Years broken into 9 month increments from preschool through 12th grades.  

An important mile marker.  A big step.  

A great place to stop and reflect where we've been as a family and where we are going.  

To install this marker beside the path of my life, driven deep into the bedrock of my memories.

No, I can't camp out here but I will visit this place in my mind.

 I will enjoy the ride and not take one more mile for granted!!!



Comments

  1. DanielleAugust 18, 2011 at 8:39 PM

    beautiful! wanted to tell you how much i enjoyed having your 9th grader in class today :) he seems like a great young man!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Heather Ann GillAugust 19, 2011 at 7:22 AM

    Thanks! I think he is! I was thankful that he had you.

    ReplyDelete

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