I recently experienced an insight that changed the way I view the seemingly everyday activities of my life.
My daughter and I recently took a two-hour train ride from Sarajevo to Mostar, Bosnia. This train ride is considered one of the 18 most beautiful in Europe.
I was amazed at the splendor of the countryside and mountain villages we passed. We followed the breathtaking Neretva River and crossed its gorge multiple times.
One thing that particularly caught my attention was the bridges.
Beautiful Bridges
The bridges varied in height, length, and design. I didn’t notice them unless we were rounding a corner or a curve in the track allowed me to see the track ahead.
This is what I realized: when we were actually riding over the bridge, I could not see the beauty of the trestle itself. It felt no different than just moving forward on the track. While I could see the river below, I still wasn’t able to appreciate the bridge’s beauty.
Life Experiences
I thought back on navigating my life and the many experiences that, at the time, I hadn’t realized how wonderful they really were.
- Sitting down to help a child with homework.
- Driving my children to weekly piano lessons and attending piano recitals.
- Striving to maintain family dinners and time together when outside activities threatened to encroach.
These moments seemed nothing special at the time; in fact, they were often challenging. But looking back now, I realize the beauty of those experiences and the memories created. Each of those moments was a bridge that I didn’t notice crossing at the time, yet they ended up creating a lovely life.
With this new insight, perhaps I can look ahead and embrace whatever comes my way, recognizing and appreciating the beauty of each moment.
Much love,
