What is a meaningful walk to you?

There are many ingredients that make such a walk for us, right? Those ingredients include a first walk, a last walk, a walk with someone special, a solitary walk and a walk for a cause.

If you are a parent, you know what’s it’s like to see your child take their first step alone leading to their first and future walks. From personal experience, when that wee child begins to walk and you release your supporting/guiding hand, as a parent you are quite nervous. You don’t want your child to fall, but that first walk must be done. When completed, we all take a breath of relief. However, we also hope that first walk leads to a meaningful walk of life.

One meaningful walk for me is to meander through the aisle of a wine store. Yes, I know many of the friendly bottles staring back at me. However, there’s always pleasure in noting a new wine that is dedicated to a worthwhile cause. More on this in a bit.

I recently joined a walk that is directed to raising money for ending Alzheimer’s disease. Over the years, I’ve been involved in this meaningful walk and always come away with a sense that maybe, just maybe, that walk will help someone experiencing this awful disease and their family.

The day was perfect. The park setting was perfect. The people managing the event were perfect. And it’s always so heartwarming to see lots of folks come together for a mutual cause. Seeing so many people gathering for a meaningful walk was encouraging. I was in the right spot at the right time.

After the opening ceremonies, people began their walks. There were families bunched together, a large group of anyone walking together and there were single walkers. I was fortunate to walk with a couple of known fellows, and the mile plus walk passed by very quickly as we chatted about anything.

The whole walk was at a local park so we got to stroll by Old Man River and continue around a bend, which ultimately led us to the finish line. The walk was so beautiful — nature surrounded us with its beauty and some eagles floated above us. It was like they were walking with us.

It’s at times like this that I am again reminded how we are all in this walk of life together. There’s no divisive politics, no hatred here. Just people gathering because many of them have a common experience involving the disease. There’s only the idea that together we can make something good out of something bad.

That’s why I like to support wines that support a worthy cause. One wine that I like and that gives back is Vina Robles the Arborist. This Paso Robles California wine uses a portion of the sale from every bottle to plant trees. Also, I might add that this medium bodied red blend is delicious. The name of the wine honors the arborist who saved the centuries old oak tree that is featured on the bottle’s label. Walking through the wine store and seeking this wine is a meaningful walk for me.

There are numerous ways for us to have a meaningful walk. We can walk for a cause, a person, for nature, and don’t forget to walk for yourself. You are a meaningful part of someone’s life.

May you always find the path for a meaningful walk.

As always, eat and drink in moderation, but laugh with reckless abandon!

Cheers!