Park Series: Munroe Falls Meadow

We don’t develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.

{Barbara de Angelis}

Munroe Falls Metro Park Meadow Trail is probably the easiest that I will encounter during the course of the Fall Hiking Spree, but that doesn’t take away from its beauty. The trail begins by taking you through a wooded area and winds its way through a large meadow where wild plants grow. Due to the time of the year, most of the wild foliage was brown with spots of color here and there.

I went off trail almost immediately because there was a clearing that caught my eye. Three graves were located in the area and one of the remains belonged to someone unknown. It makes me wonder what kind of person they were and what their life was like.

It was such a beautiful area. The way the light streamed in between the changing leaves made it look stunning and peaceful.

The quote I opened up with really called to me. You don’t develop a sense of courage by leading a happy life. Our struggles, pains, and hard times are what help reveal/shape our true character. It’s easy to be a kind and generous person when there’s nothing wrong in your life. It’s much harder to do that when there isn’t anything going right.

Some people come into your life and surprise you. Not only do they add joy, but also create a space of acceptance that cuts through the insecurities created by your past. Recently, I revealed parts of myself that were less than perfect and instead of being greeted with a negative response, I was immediately enveloped in understanding and gentleness. People like that leave a strong impression upon me and I’m grateful to be able to add someone like that to my life.