3.5 miles, 18,480 feet, and according to FitBit, 11,019 steps in a little over 2.5 hours. The picture below is the very first of many dune hills that you have to climb up to get to marker 28 if you plan on going to the end to see Lake Michigan.
One thing that strikes me is the thousands of foot prints in the sand that if you think about it, all tell their own story. Some went up the first dune to come back down, others went up two, some three, and those that went all the way to the end. Of those footprints, I think of the frequently used phrase “melting pot” of people. Some young, some old, people from all different states, countries, religions and beliefs that ultimately were all working towards accomplishing something the day they arrived.
As people passed each other on the dunes, many would say “Hello,” or “How you doing today?” As we got closer to the half-way point, marker 14, the greetings turned to words of encouragement. “You got this,” “Half-way there,” “Keep going one step at a time,” and “The end is worth it.” Again, most of these people did not know one another, but somehow a common goal and the physical demands of the dune hike brought everyone together.
What if we would all take the approach to hiking the Sand Dunes out into everyday life? Think about it, the thousands of steps we all take throughout a day, the people we pass, are all battling something we know nothing about. We need to be kind, give words of encouragement, and be helpers that this world needs. If we all did that, think about what our end result would be? No matter what it is, we are all working towards something in life. Maybe if we wouldn’t wait for a tragedy to come together, we could all end up with a view like this.
Fueling Life and Work 