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Hi Reader

This week we decided to take the back road.

We were driving to meet our friend Suzi in a local cafe, which is only about a ten-minute journey, but instead of taking the usual route, we chose the more scenic one along a single track winding road. It’s one of those roads that reminds me why we love living here in rural Portugal. The views are beautiful, the pace is slower, and you never quite know what you might encounter along the way.

As it turned out, we encountered quite a lot.

First there was a farmer manoeuvring a trailer/tractor with some kind of a winch on the back as if he'd been moving boulders. There was a wild fire on the land nearby a couple of weeks ago (a bit close for comfort) that kept reigniting every night for 6 nights, so perhaps he was doing some land clearance following the damage.

And then there was a donkey. Not beside the road or near the road, but very much in the middle of the road.

For reasons known only to the donkey and its owner, it had been tied to a post just outside a stone wall, which meant it was standing exactly where we needed to drive. It looked at us, we looked at it, and eventually it shuffled aside enough for us to continue on our way.

Problem solved. Or so we thought.

On the journey home, we met the same donkey again. This time, however, it had absolutely no intention of moving. We sat there for about five minutes while it stood in the road, completely unmoved by our presence and apparently entirely unconcerned by our plans.

We briefly considered our options. Phil was driving so I asked if I should I get out and try to persuade it to skidaddle? Would it kick me? Would it kick the car? Would driving closer encourage it to move or make things worse? In the end, we decided to do nothing. We simply sat there and waited until, entirely on its own schedule, about 5 minutes later, the donkey decided to move.

As we drove away, we found ourselves laughing, but also thinking about how often life can feel a bit like that. We are so used to solving things, fixing things, pushing through things or finding a way around whatever is blocking us. When something gets in the way, our instinct is often to ask, “What should we do?”

But every now and then, life presents us with a donkey.

Something that will not be hurried. Something that cannot be reasoned with. Something that simply requires us to pause and wait.

And perhaps that is not always a bad thing. Not every delay needs fixing, and not every pause is a problem. Sometimes the answer is not more action, but a little more trust.

Trusting that things will move when they are ready to move. Trusting that clarity will come. Trusting that not everything has to happen according to our timetable.

The donkey, it turns out, was not standing in the way of our journey. Perhaps it was reminding us to slow down and notice it. Or maybe it was saying, "I'm on a journey too. Give me time to get there."

So perhaps the gentle thought this week is simply this:

If you'd like to share, please do. We always love hearing from you.

Live as you dream ❤️

Kimberley and Phil

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