The Storyteller |
![]() I don’t like the words “bucket list.” But I do have dreams. I can’t remember a time when I haven’t loved going for a walk in the woods. Our old farmhouse had an ancient furnace that burned wood and/or coal and our eighty acres of timber provided an ample supply for its hungry iron mouth. My sister and I never turned down an invitation when Dad hitched the wagon to the tractor and went down the road to the woods. We would swing on the grapevines, pick wildflowers, and wander under the cool green canopy for hours. From the time I first read about the Appalachian Trail, I wanted to hike it. The trail that winds 2,190 miles from Georgia to Maine intrigued me. I could imagine the days, weeks and months in the beautiful eastern mountains walking and soaking in the beauty. I could even imagine the solitude, and to an introvert, that sounded lovely, too. I first walked a small portion of the trail when my husband, Gary, and I camped in Smokey Mountain National Park. That only whetted my appetite. As I rounded the curve to Old Age, approaching my seventies, I wanted to do something Big. I knew hiking the whole trail was out of the question. I enjoy solitude but only in small portions. Gary doesn’t share my passion for hiking and being gone from him for several months didn’t appeal to me. So, I conceived the idea. We could pull our camper, I would hike every day, and he would be my shuttle service to and from the trail. Being the amazing husband he is, he agreed. I settled on the portion of the trail in the Shenandoah National Park. There are three campgrounds and the trail crosses the road through the park multiple times. We began to make serious plans. I bought maps, studied them, and charted my course. Gary looked up the campgrounds and planned when to move our 5th wheel from one campground to another. We even took a trial run to Virginia just to scout things out, but that trip was cut short by Hurricane Isaac. We like to say we were kicked out of the park, but it closed. I do like solitude, but I also know it is best to hike with a human companion. (I always hike with my short-legged Lab, Molly.) I asked several friends and found a few adventuresome souls willing to accompany me. On September 9th, 2019, Leigh, Molly, and I will start at Front Royal, the town at the northern edge of the park. After approximately fourteen days, we will have hiked the 106 miles through the park. And I will have made a dream come to life. What dreams keep nudging you? We are created in God’s image, and I believe dreams are placed in our souls by our Creator. Don’t push them aside, but take your first step today to make your dream a reality.
4 Comments
Margo Edwards
7/12/2019 04:51:27 pm
Enjoyed your story, Sue. Yes we do have dreams and plans we haven't done. I'm glad you are doing yours! You are an inspiration!
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Susan Lawrence
7/13/2019 09:13:10 am
I hope at the end of my life I still have dreams and plans. Then I will know God called me home while I was still at work. Love to you and Dave!
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Angela Joseph
7/13/2019 09:13:20 pm
Susan, I admire your adventurous spirit and I wish you all the best in realizing this dream. I too have had a dream for a long time and never thought it would happen, but this year God opened the door and I'll be visiting Israel in September. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
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Susan Lawrence
7/14/2019 02:46:40 pm
I'm so glad you get to take this trip!
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AuthorSusan Lawrence taught elementary school for 33 years before hanging up her chalkboard to write and speak. She writes novels for both adults and middle grade children. Susan lives in Iowa with her husband and short-legged Lab, Molly. She has 3 children and 7 grandchildren who love to hear her stories. Archives
December 2022
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