See the tiny Hollywood sign to the right of Holly? Yep, that’s the view, but priceless memoires.
The smallest of things, bring back some of the greatest memories.
Last night I opened my bathroom drawer to find a hair tie. The one I grabbed was a simple, grey, no-tangle hair tie that Holly and I were given before we took our family hike up Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles, California this past summer. This tiny tie brought back a wealth of memories.
Runyon Canyon is an approximately 160 park in LA where people of all ages and stages, ride their bikes, jog, walk, and capture moments. We left our hotel, walked three blocks, and entered through the decorative iron gates. It was there at the gates where we received our little gifts.
For Florida folks, who aren’t used to hiking up hills, at times the walk was a challenge. We weren’t too far into the hike when the whining and complaining started from the younger folks in our family, okay…especially Holly. She was the main reason why Tim and I gathered everyone up that morning to go to Runyon Canyon. Holly had to have a picture with “her namesake”, the Hollywood sign.
Up some stairs, around bends, up the dusty trail we marched. There were benches and beautiful panoramas to enjoy along the way. The scenes were breathtaking. Literally, it took Holly’s breath away. At one point, she proclaimed, “I just can’t go on. I’ll wait here. Come back and get me when you’re done. I can’t breathe.” Well, that would be a problem since we were not coming back in the same directions from where we came.
The boys hiked on up and I stayed behind to encourage Holly. I’d give her water, motivate her with words, and encouraged her to keep moving.
Just like in life, the journeys we often take are hard. We have to stay motivated and need encouragement from others. We must persevere to reach our goal. Life. Is. Hard…just deal with it and keep moving forward.
Holly’s expression was priceless when she reached the top.
Again, like in life we often set our expectations so grand, only to be let down. When Holly made it up to the rest of our crew, we pointed to the Hollywood sign and said there it is. The look on her face was like, “Are you kidding me? I hiked up this mountain to see the sign so far away! Ugh!” We did see the infamous sign, but it was still quite a distance away from us. But…we did see it. It may have been a glimpse of what we imagined, but the goal was conquered and we worked together.
The rest of the hike had us walking downhill, so it was more pleasant. We’d laugh, compete on who was going to be in the lead, and have great chats along the way.
Boy, did those hair ties come in handy. It was hot!
The small hair tie that I grabbed last night reminded me of:
- A phenomenal family vacation where they kids all got along beautifully, enjoyed each other’s company, and many laughs were had.
- Perseverance is important in life. Never give up!
- We need encouragers in life. Be an encourager to others, and when you need one, I bet God will send one your way.
- Stay on God’s path and there’s great reward in the end.
- Treasure the small things in life. They make for big adventures and memories.
“How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” Psalm 133:1
“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11
“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:3-5
I pray many blessings and much JOY for you! Have a wonderful day. – Stephanie
