Two Roads

“Two roads diverged and I, I took the one less traveled by.” This is my favorite quote from one of my favorite poems by Robert Frost. The name of the poem is actually “The Road Not Taken”. However, I never looked at it that way. I like to think of the road that WAS taken and why.

Whatever life deals us, we always have a choice. Sometimes the road less traveled is taking a leap of faith. And, sometimes, the road less traveled is doing what is safe and comfortable.

I have always loved books. I love to read! Books allow us to travel to places we might otherwise never visit. Books can also inspire us to take the road less traveled.

I’m sure I wrote at least one paper on this poem when I was in high school. At that time, I saw the two roads differently than I do, now. Then, my image of the two roads was a Y-intersection with a large tree between the roads. The two roads were different but parallel.

As the seasons of my life change, I see that the paths we’re faced with do not always parallel each other.

Taking the path less traveled by has made all the difference in the world to me. Each event in our life is like a domino tapping the next action. We can’t see the connection. Only God knows how the whole game will play out.

I struggled a little bit in college. Never giving up, I completed my classes through independent study. This was before online classes. However, if I had not moved home while completing my independent study classes, I might not have met my husband. We met when we were both working at The Holly Inn in Pinehurst, NC.

I studied journalism at The University of North Carolina. I had dreams of writing a novel. At one time, I had thought I would be a television journalist or write for a newspaper. That was in the early 1990s. Once I was diagnosed with Crohn’s, my dreams changed. I decided to live in the same area I grew up in. It was important for me to be close to family. I later learned just how important it was to have family close by when I was sick. For many years, I was guilty that I had let my writing dreams die. Crohn’s had killed my dream. Finally, with the support of a few friends, I decided to write this blog. So, the very thing I thought had killed my writing dream had resurrected my dream. I was told to write what you know. That’s what I’m doing. There is a time and a season for everything. Now, is my season and God’s timing. Everything in God’s timing.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by. And, that has made all the difference.

Taking a different path can turn out to be the right path.

Reflection: What road will you take? How will it make a difference? How will you make a difference?