A signpost back to my self

Whenever I see a Daddy Longlegs I think of Granddaddy. We used to call those crazy looking spiders Granddaddy Longlegs, because Granddaddy had hundreds of them crowded along the screen door every summer when we visited them in Georgia.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I love having a little signpost for people I love. When I see a Granddaddy Longlegs, as I did this morning on the trail, I stop and take in that Granddaddy-energy.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
My grandfather was tall and quiet and had a stillness about him. And as a kid, I loved being with him, because he would give me his full attention.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I remember holding his hand and going for long walks on the beach near his house. And when I would find a shell, he would tell me all about it is his slow southern drawl that always wrapped me up like a snuggly blanked.⠀“That’s a common jingle shell. Oh, that’s a rough pen shell, I hardly ever see those.”⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And he taught me to look for 5 little holes in the sand, and if you slipped your hand under and scooped it up, there was a sand dollar!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
So there I was hiking along in Maryland and this Granddaddy Longlegs transported me to a beach in Georgia. The feeling of Granddaddy’s hand in mine, my feet in the water, my other hand clutching a bag full of treasures.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
And I realized I love having these little signposts. A way to let a little love in. A reason to stop and breathe and feel all that is in me. All those experiences and adventures that have made me the person I am right now.⠀⠀

A signpost back to my self.