# Milestones

## The Quiet Markers

On a winding road or a child's growth chart, milestones appear without fanfare. They are simple stones set along the way, etched with distances traveled. In our lives, they mark quiet shifts: the first step, a job well done, a hand held through hardship. Not grand monuments, but gentle reminders that time moves forward, one breath at a time.

## Pausing to See

We rush past them sometimes, eyes on the horizon. Yet stopping here, on this early 2026 morning, feels right. A milestone invites reflection—not to dwell, but to notice. What carried us this far? Small kindnesses from friends, a stubborn hope in tough days, the warmth of dawn after long nights. These pauses weave meaning into the ordinary.

## Carrying Them Forward

Each marker lightens the load. They prove we can endure, adapt, grow. Like a traveler noting the miles, we gather strength from what's behind to face what's next.

- A shared laugh that eases worry.
- A lesson from loss that builds quiet resolve.
- A promise kept, linking past to future.

In 2026, with the world still turning, these stones remind us: progress is personal, persistent, and profoundly ours.

*Every step counts, every marker matters.*