As I began my slow journey down the Aare this afternoon aboard the boat that leaves at 1210 from Solothurn, I contemplated what I wanted to focus on for the day. I often do this… focus on something to take my mind off the fact that I am surrounded by people who speak a different language and who do not want to communicate with me no more than I want to communicate with them…

I am not „anti-social“ … it is more like scared of everything… scared of being hated, scared of being liked, scared of looking or sounding foolish, scared of failing and scared of succeeding… I am always scared. And that keeps me from smiling, laughing, relaxing, and enjoying life.

So today I left my apartment and headed into Solothurn to ride the boat to Biel/Bien. I have taken this tour many times… I love it!

Anyway… my topic… bridges. There are so many lovely bridges on this small trip. But what is so significant (to me) about bridges? They connect… towns, cities, small villages, and people. Bridges bring people to places they want and need to be. Bridges close gaps that are sometimes impossible to overcome without their aid… bridges are needed in order for people to get nourishment … physical and emotional…

I have always been fascinated with bridges, but as I get older I recognize that bridges are a way to teach us humans how to behave in uncomfortable situations. We just need to stand and be a connector for others. We need to allow ourselves to use our kindness, our smile, our respect to help others move from one place to another.