The Long and Winding Road

Nearly two years to the day, I wrote this post while out on a walk listening to The Long and Winding Road. I dictated the words into my phone. Today, while respecting social distancing and stay-at-home pleas from health and government officials, I am sharing it. Perhaps it will give some clarity in unprecedented times of uncertainly. 

******

(MARCH 24, 2018, Unedited) 

Life will always take you where you’re meant to be. Your life plan is already mapped out. Doctor Who characters may get to experience alternate universes, but for most of us, life is what it is.  While it may be fun to imagine your life under different circumstances, the truth is you are where you need to be right now - IN THIS UNIVERSE. So when you find yourself questioning your decisions or daydreaming about the possibilities of what life would be like had you made other decisions, remember that somewhere in a parallel universe you may very well be on that different road. And, no doubt, in that parallel universe, you are wondering how life is going on this path.

My apologies for being absent over the last couple months, but I have had changes in my career and personal life. I am currently in the process of moving, and with any major life change comes the overwhelming desire and curiosity of evaluating your life choices and the path you have taken. Whenever you have to box up your life and relocate, one is hit with sentimentality and a flood of memories. So while I continue to purge my possessions, it is the memories that I will continue to hold onto and cherish, particularly in regards to the countless pictures of my sons growing up. 

There is something heartwarming about holding a picture in your hand, an actual photograph. When my children were little, I was constantly snapping pictures (and getting them printed!) and going for photo shoots. Now I'm lucky if I buy one school picture a year. In addition, I've gone through countless photo albums of me growing up and pictures of my parents and grandparents when they were younger. 

While packing and purging - and reminiscing, I tried to make peace with the bad memories, keep the happy ones, and reflect on the sad ones - after all, when all is said and done, it is only the emotions we felt that make up our life. 

When I recently expressed worry about making a mistake regarding the move and job change, a dear friend said to me, "There are no mistakes." Let that sink in. I am where I am meant to be....yesterday, today, and tomorrow.