It's An Open Road

It’s an Open Road

               

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.  Robert Frost The Road Not Taken

                I spent many happy years in New York. I enjoyed a full life with a beautiful family, friends and activities I enjoyed. You could say, I was familiar with all the roads and I was comfortable. Then my life changed when the partner who accompanied me on many of those rose drifted off into the loving hands of our Lord. My loss was profound. However, it’s been said that when one door closes, another opens. My door opened and I gained a wonderful daughter-in-law who is a perfect partner for my son. When they decided to leave New York, they asked me to come with them. To leave my home behind to explore the road I hadn’t taken was invigorating.  I took a leap of faith made a change and moved to beautiful Virginia.

I moved into a beautiful, loving and accepting community. The people here are as vital as I am. We are on the move professionally, even though some would believe us to be on a porch in a rocking chair. Well, I can tell you, we are rocking, but there are no chairs involved.

                We use our energy to benefit the community. Our experience in life is valuable to so many and not just young people. There are many people north of forty who are at a crossroads in their lives as their children graduate from college, get married, move away and start families of their own. I for one, am here to say it’s time to embrace ‘your time’ without guilt.

                If you’re like me, perhaps you had a dream you put on the shelf to raise your family. Take it down. Dust it off and put it into motion. Perhaps, you want to write the great American novel or turn a hobby into a business, maybe you want to teach at a local college or maybe you want a career in front of the camera. The possibilities are endless. The true blessing of time on this beautiful Earth is if you’re lucky, you will have the chance to take the road not taken. The anticipation of what may lie ahead is daunting yet very exciting. It may very well be the road to living your life to the fullest.

                We’re lucky enough to live our lives with a full view of everything we can do. Once you’re on the road, you are well on the way to living your life to the fullest.