When you get to the top...

I hate hill runs. They just aren't fun. And you don't go all that far, but in the end, you're still just as exhausted as you would have been if you had run a marathon. Well, the other day in my jogging class, we were assigned (you guessed it!) hills, and we'd be running up and down a quarter mile stretch as many times as we could in the class period. I was obviously elated at this revelation, but I got going all the same. I usually do pretty well at keeping near the front of the class when we're doing regular jogs (thank you long legs), but I was lagging behind a little bit, and I could feel the initial pangs of what would become a pretty excruciating side ache. The thing is, every time that I would pass someone going the other way, whether I was going up or they were going down, regardless of whether I was ahead of them or they ahead of me, the other runners shouted out, "Good job!" or "Keep going; you're doing great!" and however mundane it might seem, that was what kept me going for those last couple of runs up and down the incline.


We're all struggling along through the journey of life, and I think it's safe to say that we've been through a lot of the same things-- many of the same experiences, the same disappointments and joys. Maybe our courses have been a little bit different. Maybe you're a little bit farther up the path than I am, or maybe it's the other way around. But the point is, you don't have to be at the top of the mountain to throw down a rope. Sometimes, it's the little acts of kindness and the simple words of encouragement that mean the most, and wherever we may be in our journey, there's bound to be someone nearby who could use a hand up or a shout of encouragement. Life's not a race, so we might as well take the time to help others along their way. And when you get to the top, remember those who are yet struggling forward...