Cairns (definition: a small stack of stones, used to mark a route or landmark.)

Have you ever been lost on a hike or climb? I have and it generates quite a range of emotion. It starts with mild irritation and perhaps a little embarrassment if you are leading others. Then the anxiety starts and outright fear if things go on too long or the weather deteriorates. You are wondering up the slope, wondering and hoping that you have “guessed” correctly and then you see it, a cairn. Someone has been here and marked the way. You look ahead and see another. Suddenly your anxiety lifts and your whole mood shifts. Your invisible guide has saved the day.

Building a cairn is not only an act of kindness. It is also an act of grace. The builder has been in the shoes of the user, lost and hoping they too are on the right track.

Cairns are built at work too. A mentor gives tips on how to navigate a complicated system. Hints are dropped by the senior staff member to newcomers on how to get through a difficult day.

What cairns might you build and leave for others to follow. Often the blaze you make is simply the strength of your character and the actions you take. When building a cairn, you must choose large flat stones to start and stack progressively smaller ones on top. Those large flat stones are your character and how you live into your values.

Leave a clear path for others to follow.- Stu Freed