met·a·phor

noun: metaphor; plural noun: metaphors

1. a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

This past weekend I hiked the Marin Headlands.  Its vertical exposure and hills, and the vistas and ocean sounds resonate with me deeply.  Though I sometimes forget between visits, when I’m there I’m reminded how healing it is … to my mind, heart, and soul.

It was time to myself, needed to slow my internal clock, settle and focus my mind, and calm my spirit.  My pack was heavier than usual.  I have a pending backpack trip and gradual conditioning for the trip is my intention.  So now when I explore I add weight … weight to make me work as I play.  And as I ventured into the park and began the various uphill climbs I reflected on how my pack was like my life … I must experience the burdens, the burdens are sometimes added new and sometimes never removed, and all of them are there for a reason and must travel with me as I move through life and experience feelings.

And then I notice that everyone I passed had their own pack, unique to them in style, color, and weight.  I saw clearly that each of us have our burden, each unique and fitted to “us”, and none of us are strangers to this life chore.  An endless array of configurations, all meant for the same task yet all unique to the person carrying it out.  And all of us shared another trait … we carried it willingly knowing that it was part of the experience called life … threads in the fabric call “hiking the headlands”.  Yes … a metaphor … a metaphor for life.