In a city not far from Seattle, there is a playground in a cute little park.
Next to the park is a path that circles around a beautiful lake.
My friend and I ran a 5K around that lake a couple of weeks ago.
It was cold and damp that morning, but the rain had stopped at least.
Leaves from the trees covered our path, and puddles created obstacles for us to run around or sometimes jump over.
We made good time that day, enjoying the view as we ran, stopping to take pictures a couple of times along the way.
The finish line brought us back to that cute little park.
We picked up our medals and snacks and paused to catch our breath.
I noticed words carved on the bench near us and stepped closer to read them.
"Make your life worth it."
A pretty powerful mandate. And one that can be really difficult to measure.
Questions started racing through my brain.
What does worth it really even mean? Worth it to who?
And who determines whether or not the things we do actually get us there?
Deep thoughts for a Sunday morning, especially after running.
I clearly needed more coffee.
That statement stuck with me that whole day, even as we explored the fish market and the waterfront. And at dinner, where we enjoyed an amazing meal and sang to some of our favorite songs while we sat at the bar.
Was I making my life worth it?
In the quiet hotel room that night, I listened to the silence and let my mind wander.
I made a list of the things that I feel add meaning to life.
Spending time with family and friends who lift us up
Challenging ourselves to do new things
Finding purpose in our work
Being kind to others
Being kind to ourselves
Raising our children to be kind
Loving each other and appreciating our uniqueness
You'll notice it's not a list of places to go or specific things to accomplish.
At the end of the day, it's not about what we do.
It's about who we are.
It's about what's in our hearts and how we spend our time. And sometimes even more importantly, who we spend our time with.
My time in Washington wasn't about being in Washington. It was about being in Washington with friends and family.
Time spent in my hometown isn't about that specific place, it's about the people who live there. My family and friends who I camp with, play cards with, sing karaoke with, laugh with.
The places we go where we cultivate those relationships are just a bonus and a beautiful background to explore together.
I wonder who carved those words into that park bench and what they were thinking when they did it.
Make your life worth it.
So powerful.
So meaningful.
Our lives were meant to be both of those things.
And the beautiful part is - we own who we are, who we spend time with, and how we impact the world around us.
We make our lives worth it. Each in our own way.
I'm grateful to that park bench for the reminder that day.
I'm also grateful for all of you reading this, who have been with me on my journey.
You are all part of what makes my life worth it.
And I can't thank you enough for that.
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