The Path

Dearest Trick ~

In life we do not always have choices when it comes to the paths we are thrust upon.  I did not decide to be on the trail of widowhood, as I would guess no one ever would. But, my love, we always have options on how we walk down the paths of life.

We can crawl and complain about the hardships of the unevenly paved road. We can skip and hop among the weeds growing in the cracks of our journey. We can run fast eager to get to the next bend, unaware of the beauty that surrounds us in the expedition. We can walk softly taking in each breath, each moment. We can step hard and leave marks, “footsteps” for those that might come behind us. We can dance unaware of the pebbles and holes in the trail. We can sit and refuse to move not acknowledging the fact that the path will not change.  We can be in a daze and stumble until we reach the next fork in the road. There are many ways we can travel down the path of life. How we travel, how we perceive this journey on earth, how we take it all in or ignore it all ~ that is the choice, that is what makes us unique and special.

So here I am on a road I never pictured. The ground is uneven as life can be unfair at times. There are many potholes (hardships) that I can see behind me and in the journey ahead. The question lies in IF I focus on the holes or if I see that this pain, this hardship, this journey, creates growth and memories that will one day comfort me. I walk carefully as to not trip on the potholes of life, but still willing to step on the cracks in this adventure. I am willing to take the pain that this quest has thrust in my direction. Yet I refuse to stop and sit for too long. When I sit, I find it a time to be covered in the shade of friendship, in the rest of the burden of the trail I am on. I walk! I walk with my head held high. I walk with my eyes fixed on the horizon but aware of the path behind me. The road of life can be hard. The surroundings are not always beautiful butterflies and flowers. At times the trees lack to have fruit to eat. But, to focus just on that, to sit and look only at what lacks to be on this road ~ it is not me, it is not what I want out of the adventure we call life.

As humans we all too often think only about how rough our days are. We only focus on our problems and tend to blow them out of proportion. I need to step away from that type of thought. I think if everyone stopped for a moment and realized that the rain on their journey will help the flowers grow at some point, that the unpaved path is an adventure not a hardship~ maybe we all would be a little happier, a little more peaceful, and little more complete. I WALK! I walk in the sun as you shine down on me. I walk in the storms that life has tossed my way. I walk in the cool morning breeze that kisses my face as you once did. I walk in the fear of not knowing where this road leads. I walk! I walk and look at the birds nesting reminding me that life does go on. I walk past the fossils etched into the rocks letting me know that many have come before me and many will come after me. I walk knowing that never do I need to totally walk alone. All I ever need to do is close my eyes and you walk with me! And so I walk on, each step hard but earned, each mile creating a new version of ME. Memories of you soften the journey.

Around the world and back again~