The Rock I Kicked Became The Stone I Saved

If you’ve ever walked home from school, then you definitely know the thrill of kicking a rock.
One that you continue to kick again and again and again until an unfortunate bounce, a sewer grate, or a parked car takes it from your path and you lose it for good.
But sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes the rock makes it all the way back home with you. And typically that would be the end of it.
But if you were like me, and you happened to make it that far, then you would save the the rock. Keeping it safe until the next day. Brining it to school in your bag, just waiting for the bell to ring so you can kick it again.
Over time, learning the best paths to take. The optimal spots to aim. The obstacles to avoid. All to spare yourself a rock.
And what you begin to notice is just how smooth it can become.
How the sharp edges rounded off. How the discoloration blended into gray.
The rock I kicked became the stone I saved.

So now after a long day
Of kicking myself at work
Feeling like my life is off the path I intended to stay on
Failing again and again and again
I’m still trying my best
To aim
And avoid the obstacles

Because I may be scarred and calloused
But I’m still soft inside
Smooth as a stone
Trusting that I will find my way home
At the end of this journey

For the rock I became cannot replace the stone I am.