Square by Square

I spotted a faded chalk hopscotch grid drawn in blue and white dust across the neighborhood sidewalk. Lining up my plush feet at the base of square one, I took a gentle breath and hopped right into the center of the box. My feet landed with a soft, muted pat against the asphalt, keeping well inside the chalk lines. Square two took another tidy bound, then square three, until I spread both legs wide to plant one foot firmly in box four and the other in five. Looking back over the trail of numbered squares, taking on the street one hop at a time felt wonderfully steady and fun.