Determination

 I was heading to the gym the other morning when I saw what sheer determination looks like.  It wasn't part of an ad on a billboard, nor was it being displayed by a runner completing endless hill repeats before work.  It was right there on the face of a young girl riding her bike on the sidewalk, flanked by her dad riding his bike on the road.  I have passed this family on several occasions, crossing the same bridge; Dad riding a retrofitted bike that carries his young brood to their daytime destinations.  But not today.  Today was different.  As I made my way towards the peak of the hill, I saw Dad riding on the road and noticed a tall, pink bike flag poking up over the horizon.  More and more of the flag came into view, as did the rest of the bike, and its rider.  What struck me as she came into view was the look on her face - pure determination.  She was holding her line, pedalling smoothly and steadily and she WAS going to make it up and over this climb no matter what.  As we neared each other, our eyes briefly met and I could almost feel her strength as she once again moved her focus to gaze at the sidewalk ahead of her.  

This interaction was over in moments, and has stuck with me ever since.  I have been that girl on the bike, making the decision that today was the day that I was going to strike out and do something that felt both within my grasp and also just slightly outside of my comfort zone.  I knew all too well the mix of nerves, excitement, and worry that coursed through my veins as I internally questioned my decision while externally never letting on that I was unsure of what I was doing.  I also knew the sense of elation and joy that washed over me as I met the audacious goal I managed to reach.  I hoped that these were all feelings she would have a chance to feel at some point in her day.

Later in the week while I was dipping I looked to the west and looked upon a tree growing atop of a pile of large boulders.  It is a solitary tree and has been photographed on many occasions, so it was not the first time seeing it.  It was, however, the first time I really noticed it, and what it stood for.  It was one of the many ways that nature shows us what determination looks like: a tree growing in a rocky outcrop, a dandelion pushing its way through a crack in the sidewalk, the first crocus blooms poking their delicate heads through what remains of the winter's snow.  Determination is all around us and if we let it, can remind us of the strength that we all possess to push through moments of uncertainty and doubt.  


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