Deep in the woods of Grayson County, KY lies a rock with my name on it. It has been at or near its current position since I was a teenager. Chances are, no human other than me or perhaps a passing hunter laid eyes on this rock for decades until recently when the timber surrounding it was logged. 

 Those loggers took many of the trees, but they did not take my rock. As new saplings grow nearby, the strength of their expanding trunks will again alter the rock's position.    

 My rock was not always where it lies today. Sometime in the 1970s, it broke away from a sandstone ledge that remains some 40 yards uphill. Crashing downhill, the rock bumped and bounced off trees large and small in a natural search for its own place in the forest. Over the years, freeze and thaw has altered its appearance.

 In the '70s, I too I broke off from my parental origins, and like the rock I have changed. Life has beat, bumped, and rolled me over and over. My scars are there, some more visible than others. Life's freeze and thaw (aging) has taken its toll. Yet, like this massive sandstone, as my surface becomes wrinkled and rough, I endeavor to remain solid.

 While navigating through the forest of life, opposition to evolution is a losing fight. Rather than resist, I chose to enjoy the ride. Eventually, like this rock, my physical body will return to the earth from which it came. Then, as my spirit continues on its journey, I hope to leave behind some assurance for those who struggle to understand the beauty and meaning of life on Earth.