As much as I love walking alone, I noticed my partner today.

The very big shadow in front of me. I didn’t just see it, I admired her. She was me.

My mistakes, my whys, my loves, my hurts. Are all in this shadow.

The little girl. The young woman. The new mom. The divorced woman. The single mom. The remarried wife. The stepmom. Career woman. Ministry-driven woman… All the things. All the things that make me me. Her her.

I love how she learns.

She’s been hurt a lot, yet continues to love. That makes me proud of her.

My heart went out to my shadow. I was literally walking with myself. Face to face. I was skating forward and she was skating backward. And, I enjoyed it.

As we get older, our bodies change. Our walls go up and our preferences change. But, if we can love who walk alongside us, our dark shadows, and our own, redemption isn’t far behind. It’s like loving the person we see in the mirror. Even though and through.

We need to give ourselves compassion too. Not so much judgment, but empathy. Love for the shadow.

We all have dark sides. Sad sides. Compulsions. Struggles. Survival skills we learned as children. And took into adulthood.

The shadow I noticed today had long legs and a thin body. I may not see that in the mirror, but I love what I saw today.

The shadow I saw today kept my pace and we walked together effortlessly. Almost better. Step for step, egging each other on.

I loved her. I love her and am already looking forward to our next walk.