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A road is a common metaphor for life’s journey, but a road, with its paved surface, painted lines, and speed limit signs, overstates the clarity of how we actually experience our path. Sometimes we walk in thick forest and have no idea where we are headed. Sometimes we can see far vistas, but find no clear way of getting there. Every once in a while, when we are feeling lost, we look down and see a trail marker, a small indication that we are headed in the right direction. Someone came before us and left behind information that helps us go on.

From prehistoric times across the continents people have built rock piles called cairns to mark significant places for those who come after. Cairn is a Gaelic word, though each culture has its own word for describing these stone markers. The Inuit word is inukshuk, a stack of rocks used to mark a trail in the Arctic tundra where landmarks are otherwise scarce.

When a traveller comes upon an inukshuk she knows that someone has been there before her. More elaborate rock patterns can indicate a good fishing spot, a dangerous water crossing, or a place of spiritual significance.

The prevalence of these rock piles in nearly every place of human habitation speaks to the human desire to let those who come after us know that we were here and to share with them what we found. We use our most robust technology to convey these messages, and for a long time rock piles were the best hardware we had.

We do not expect to meet the next travelers, but we mark the trail for them, leaving clues to what we learned along the way. Even a muddy footprint unintentionally left behind shows where the creek bank gets slick after the rain.

Last week a wise and dear friend mentioned to me that her best life decision was choosing to marry her husband. “I married a man who was capable of change.” Her husband is a person who grows and learns and adapts. I asked the most important lesson she had learned, and she said, “My best effort, however imperfect, is good enough.” She shares her insights with others, especially younger people, so they will see the value in being flexible and not be held back by the drive for perfection. She is stacking stones by the trail, so people who pass by will not have to discover these truths on their own.

There is no guarantee that people who encounter our trail markers will find the information helpful. There may no longer be good fishing in the spot we indicated, but at least a new traveler does not have to start from scratch. He can work from information left by someone who has been there.

When I was young, my parents did their best to set me on a good path, but not everyone comes from a family or community capable of providing a good start. My husband’s father died when my husband was two years old. A friend’s mother suffered from a devastating combination of poverty and mental illness. Many parents have significant challenges to overcome. People who grow up without good family support especially need accessible wisdom, but even those from strong families and supportive communities can at some point benefit from the guidance of experienced others.

Have you ever found trail markers like this when you needed them? Many times when feeling lost I have encountered the modern equivalent of a stack of stones, erected by someone who did not know I would come to this place. These helpful discoveries came in many forms: books, articles, poetry, wise friends, and soulful music.

If you have ever received gifts of wisdom, consider passing them on. You often cannot directly pay back the person who helped you. How could you repay Vivaldi for writing the beautiful violin concerti The Four Seasons? Instead of paying back you can pay it forward, arranging some stones by the trail, sharing what you have learned.

There is no reward for building an inukshuk. There is no ego-gratifying advice giving or holding stage as the expert. The builder does not know who will walk by later. When we leave our wisdom for others to discover we touch people we will never meet, leaving our mark on the world. In gratitude for what you have received, share the precious things you have learned. Point the way.

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