Dear , Alma and Sparkly live their lives as Alpine Marmots, just as we live our human lives every day...Yet, they are fictional characters who live in some of my upcoming books.
I created them, because, as mountain animal they are part of the mountain of life that we all are climbing day by day...
Thanks for coming along...
Alma looked at her new red rollator: "I don't like using a walker."
Sparkly nodded gently: "You don't have to like it. But you deserve a tool that helps you keep moving."
There are moments on the Mountain of Life when the path changes beneath our feet.
Perhaps our body can no longer do something it once did easily.
Maybe illness, age, loss, exhaustion, or circumstances have altered the terrain.
Something that used to feel ordinary now requires help.
And sometimes the help itself is difficult to accept.
A walker may feel like a visible announcement of change.
Asking for assistance may feel like losing independence.
Resting may feel like weakness.
Choosing an easier path may feel like giving up.
But what if we looked at these things differently?
A mountain climber does not feel ashamed of sturdy boots.
A traveler does not apologize for carrying a map.
A person crossing a dangerous stretch does not fail because they use a rope.
These are simply tools chosen for the terrain.
Alma does not have to like needing her rollator.
Sparkly does not ask her to pretend that the change feels wonderful.
He does not cover her sadness with quick encouragement or tell her to "look on the bright side."
He allows the sadness to be true.
Then he helps her see another truth beside it:
The walker may give her more freedom.
It may help her travel farther and more safely.
It may allow her to remain part of the life she loves.
And there, in the rollator's basket, is Alma's book.
She is still herself:
Thoughtful Alma.
Curious Alma.
Independent Alma.
Alma, who loves reading, learning, and quietly forming her own opinions about the world.
The tool does not diminish who she is.
It helps her carry what matters as she continues along the path.
Perhaps you are facing a change you do not like.
Like Alma, you may need a different pace, a new boundary, more rest, practical assistance, medical support, emotional support, or a tool you never imagined needing.
You do not have to celebrate the change.
You do not have to call it a gift.
You do not even have to like it.
But you deserve whatever safe and appropriate support helps you remain connected to your life, your people, your meaning, and the parts of yourself that still want to travel.
This is one of the truths woven through my upcoming book, Recover Your Sparkle: Finding Hope, Meaning, and Your Next True Step.
On the Mountain of Life, moving forward does not always look like climbing higher or walking unaided. Sometimes courage looks like accepting the tool that makes the next stretch possible.
Your Sunday Sparkle:✨
The right tool is not a sign that you have stopped climbing. It may be what helps you take your next true step.
A gentle question for this week:💖
Is there a tool, accommodation, boundary, or helping hand you have been resisting because of what you fear it might mean about you?
You do not need to make a large decision today.
Perhaps your next true step is simply to look at that support with less shame and a little more kindness.
With warmth and sparkle,
Christine
Recover Your Sparkle: Finding Hope, Meaning, and Your Next True Step
Coming soon...
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