Roads

A year comes and goes in a blink, yet at the start of the year it seems as if the road ahead will never end. Trials will be met and blocks will force us to go awry despite our best intentions. One year ago today, I started working at a new job with a new car and place to live. What a wild and crazy ride it has been. The road was long, yet looking back, it came and went before I could take a breath.

Each of us must travel such long roads in life. We begin innocent and naïve in our exploits, turning corners with anticipation and joy at discovering the new things life presents. Our childhood brings both joy and sorrow while our teen years quickly become an emotional rollercoaster that carries over to adulthood. Events shape our interactions with the world and choices direct our path.

Finding our way is always difficult.

No one is there to help you but you. There might be family and there might be friends who lend a helping hand or encourage you, but in the end all the decisions for what we do and where we go lies with us.

As an adult, we discover truths in life and find more to strive for and things to fear. Failure, regret, setbacks… These are obstacles that take us by surprise until we take fewer chances… turning corners with less confidence. We soon avoid looking at the world through the eyes of children, yet we do miss that innocence. The world grows darker as we age but when we discover a joyful time, event or moment of peace, we rejoice.

These times are as important as any life experience. Our path is long and life is never easy. An oasis along our path is a relief. These times bring comfort and warmth as when we were children, falling asleep peacefully… surrounded by family and love.

These are the times we need to reflect on. Breathe deep and look to where you have come from and where you are going. Let us re-orient our path and ensure we are pointed where we mean to go. Prepare for the next part of the journey. Don’t rush, don’t worry… just prepare. Be sure you see the next step and feel comfort that you are going where you want to.

Look up and find that spot in the horizon. Find that goal, that star, that wish you made back at the beginning. See the dream you had long ago. Feel the childhood excitement for what is to come.

Now take that next step into tomorrow.