Guardrails

The view from here is lovely—terrifying but lovely. 

Anyone who isn’t crazy about heights will agree: the more impressive the view, the more thankful you are for the short wall that keeps you from plummeting to your death.  Heather McGovern and I have an ongoing joke about guardrails.  Here are a few of our favorites…

Niagara Falls - Now, that's a good looking guardrail!  Notice the sturdy metal construction.

The Grand Canyon - Glass?!?! I think not.

Hoover Dam - Oooh, is that concrete?  Very nice guardrail!

All of our jokes of our appreciation for railings made me think about other “guardrails” we have in life.  For me, my guardrails are my friends.  Over the past year I’ve been in some scary locations: my mom’s prolonged illness and then her passing, Mr. Alpha Male’s struggles regarding work, my fall down the stairs and subsequent broken back and now my career jumping to the next level as an agented writer seeking publication.  Seriously scary stuff!  Through everything my friends have supported me and kept me from sliding down the slippery slope I seem to live beside.  (Insert giant THANK YOU here.) I’m not sure how many supportive text messages, sweet emails, emergency coffee chats or hugs I’ve received; but I assure you the numbers would be staggering. 

On some level, doesn’t everyone live beside their own version of a steep drop off? There are many overlooks gazing down upon—perhaps death is a bit dramatic—but devastation has many forms and we’ve all experienced a few of them.  Life is frightening sometimes, yet I’ve found there are always guardrails to be found.  Cling to the railing and soon the path won’t seem so daunting.  And when you’re at the peak of the mountain, don’t forget to enjoy the view!

What are your guardrails?