Elks shed their antlers every spring up in the mountains. In healthier days,I collected and sold them for a pretty penny.
My new neighbor, Julie, was trying to be friendly. She’d come all the way over just to introduce herself. But it was hard to work up a smile in response. “I used to hike quite a bit,” I said. As if to illustrate the point I hobbled down my steps in my knee brace and invited her to sit at the picnic table. The early spring air was still chilly. My border collie, Tuck, lay down at my feet.
“You look pretty fit,” Julie said. “What happened?”
Doctors said I had an autoimmune disease, but they couldn’t agree on what had caused it. For six months I’d searched for an answer. Three specialists later, I didn’t know what course of treatment to follow.
Just getting out of bed in the morning was a chore. Exercise was out of the question with my stiff knees, bad ankles and sore back. My son, Scott, was a personal trainer, but he lived 500 miles away. He tried his best to encourage me over the phone.
“Hiking’s been a big part of my life for three decades,” I told Julie. “It’s been darn hard to give it up.”
“Maybe we could go out together,” she said. “I have an ATV with four seats. Plenty of room for the two of us and our dogs.”
I glanced down at Tuck. He missed hiking too, and I knew he’d love a dog buddy to run with.
“I have an Aussie named Sadie,” Julie said. “My husband travels a lot for work. I’m not used to being stuck way out here in the boonies. You’d be doing me a favor coming with us.”
When I told Scott about her offer over the phone, he was all for it. “Mom, I deal with a lot of older clients who want to sit in a chair and give up,” he said. “The ones who get better keep moving. Promise me you’ll think about that hike.”
This story is from the March/April 2018 edition of Angels on Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March/April 2018 edition of Angels on Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE ANSWER
Could my husband’s recent retirement explain his behavior?
Sewing Hope
It wasn’t in my power to mend a broken heart, but I sent needle and thread, with chocolates for good measure
Problems? She Can Relate
Meet New Jersey’s Own Black Fairy Godmother
Valentine Angels
Straight from heaven—with love
The Humility Sisters
What would two nuns know about taking care of a baby?
Sophie's Secret
How could a dog know just what so many people needed?
Built by Angels
My mother called to ask if I knew the story of the 11 churches carved from single stones in Ethiopia
ONE RED GLOVE
Its message helped me shake the blues
Clutter, Be Gone!
Fifteen minutes a day keeps the mess away
A housewarming gift
My husband seemed to be in every room— even though I knew he was in heaven