The path.

I spoke with my oldest daughter yesterday. Okay, I also spoke with my other daughters as well, but that’s not the point I am trying to make. We discussed an interview she has coming up; she will have to travel out of town for it and she wanted me to know what's happening. We are at the point in time where she will truly be breaking away. More than just going to college, the real world waits for her.

She was telling me about the interview and how she is really hoping it happens on a certain date because she has commitments. I totally understood her wishes, but I also said, “You will need to go when they say they can meet with you.” Pretty simple when you think about it. I know she reads “Snap.Shot.” on a regular basis, so not only will she recall the conversation, but also I will likely hear about it. That’s okay this is what being a parent is all about.

Life’s path takes you on some pretty amazing journeys. With your first steps on the path, you are reasonably sure you have made the right choice; then a slight curve happens and you adjust to what has now been dealt to you. Things tend to straighten out for a while, and then a twist takes you on a journey you had no idea was coming. Could be that special person coming into your life, a new job, or a multitude of things.

It’s when the path turns out to be a roller coaster that things really become fun. “Fun” may not be the best description, because sometimes it’s no fun at all, but it does test your ability to handle new and different challenges. This might be a sick loved one, loss of a job and/or end of a marriage. But the interesting thing is, you usually see the path smooth out over time and when it does, the path takes you on the next journey. Through it all you have expanded your experience with life’s twist and turns, and you are a better person because of it.

The photo above was taken at the Morton Arboretum this past fall. What I love about the photo is fairly simple. You think you can follow the path, but there are areas around the bend you don’t see. I like to think these are the “molders” in life; those challenges that make you a better, stronger, more knowledgeable person. We all have our paths in life, and they are all different. That’s part of being an individual; no matter what you think might lie ahead, there will be a twist and turn that makes you look back and think, “I never knew where this path was going to take me.”

Thanks for stopping by.