Maria and I had stopped walking together about six or eight months ago. We used to walk in the woods together almost every day, or up my walking hill several times a week.

She loves to walk in the woods, and suddenly,  I had trouble going that far, so we just stopped. In her gracious way, she would go for walks by herself, taking the dogs.

I would stay home and nap or write. I so missed these walks together, they were so much a part of our lives. We both made the same assumption – I was just getting too old to walk that much.

I should know better than to assume age is always the problem. Most often, it isn’t. One day, it will be and I hope to recognize that with grace.

After railing about old talk for years, there I was succumbing to it. I finally realized my heart was struggling – again – and called the cardiologist. In a blink, I was getting tested.

Two surgeries – excuse me, “interventions” – later, I walk up my hill every morning and Maria joins me.  She marvels at my walking speed and newfound stamina. I’m going farther every day and I feel my heart and legs getting stronger.

I have a lot of work to do to get in better shape. This weekend, I’ll start walking in the woods with Maria and the dogs again. It is exhilarating for me to walk so easily up this hill, which defeated me just a few weeks ago.

The hill is a milepost for Maria, for me, and for our relationship. When somethings wrong, the hill tells me. When things are good, the hill celebrates with me.

The heart loves this hill. So do I. In a few months, I’ll be riding up the hill on my e-bike.