The Path Before Us
Over the last week or so, I have been working with some others to create a new trail in the woods near our home. As I have envisioned the steps through the underbrush and trees, I have been reminded of a couple of famous poems, one by Robert Frost and the other by T.S. Eliot.
From Frost’s The Road Not Taken, we have come to immortalize these words:
”Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
T. S. Eliot gave us these words from his meditation Little Giddings from Four Quartets
“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”
My thoughts have swirled around the imagery these poems illicit, leading me to reflect on where I am in my life presently. My life has been full of opportunities and adventures as well as my share of pain, frustration, and mistakes. At the various crossroads I have encountered, I have made choices based on the knowledge and experiences I had at that time. Some were stellar, others not so much. However, every step in my journey has led me to where I am today. From where I now stand, I can look back and see where my failures and missteps have served to teach and mold me. I have found that the joys along the way have come from my relationships which have given my life meaning and purpose. Each day has come together to create the mosaic of who I am. On the whole, I am at peace with the results so far.
Like Frost, I have struggled at times on which road to choose but I am truly thankful for where the ones taken have brought me. Like Eliot, I have found that my path has circled around to some of my previous junctures and my perspective on those places is deeper and broader on the return.
One other lesson that has emerged from my work this week is that sometimes we have to blaze our own trail. We each have within us to create something new. When we come to the split in the road, it may be important to remember that one other choice is to step away from what is seen and explore the unknown.
Whatever we are facing on the road today, the lessons from previous sojourners tell us that we need to continue to “travel” and “explore”. Each step has the potential to illuminate something powerful or beautiful within us; we just need to keep our eyes open as we keep moving on.