Old Dog/New Tricks

"Those who seek growth, embrace life and learn from the journey."

“No matter where you are in life right now, no matter who you are, no matter how old you are – it is never too late to be who you are meant to be.” Esther and Jerry Hicks

Well who'da thunk it?  My couch potato hubby has turned into a dedicated walker. He is by nature a confirmed introvert, comfortable in his nest.  At one time in the not too distant past I had to drag him kicking and screaming, grumbling and moaning, for a stroll around the neighborhood.   Psychologists say it takes, on average, 21 days of a repeated practice for an action to become a habit. These gurus never met my slightly obsessive/compulsive hubby. We started with a daily one mile jaunt. I'll admit it took a bit of prodding the first day to get him out the door, but within a couple of days it was he who was prodding me.

I sensed that walking had "stuck" when he asked for new sweats for Christmas, something with a hood. Granted, he sports a Unabomber look, but a little wind and chill doesn't stop him.

Then, one day, I returned home from work and he casually reported, "CoCo and I had an adventure today."

"Really?" I asked. "Did she go to the drive-thru with you?"

"No. We walked all the way up to the high school."

What!!!??? They walked...without me! Don't get me wrong--I wasn't resentful. Just mildly, well...shocked.

Clearly, my hubby's daily walk has become a spiritual practice. More times than not, when I work the early shift, hubby and CoCo Chanel head out on their own. Most days, their one mile stretches into two.

And I am so...proud. Not that I had much to do with this healthier lifestyle choice. I believe the seed of being a walker hid within my hubby's soul all along, waiting for the right moment of cultivation. And I marvel at the miracle our Creator has awakened in him. I stand in wonder that after all these years he still surprises me with growth and change.

A little epilogue to these observations:

Last week I joined hubby and the puppy for the first time in several days. As we rounded a corner, blocks from the house, a woman I'd never met called out, "Hi, CoCo!" and approached to pet our little diva.

"Making friends, are we?" I teased him.

"Everybody loves CoCo," hubby murmured.

I know better than to mistrust this love of my life whom I married thirty-one years ago, but I might need to rethink the introvert assessment. I cannot imagine what other seeds the Source might decide to nurture. Hmmm...