What path will you take?

I was hiking while on vacation this week. Something about nature and breathing fresh air in the woods just gets me thinking. I don't know if it is getting away from my normal life that motivates me or just slowing down enough to listen to the constant conversation going on in my brain.




The conversation sparked by a two hour trek through the woods to see some waterfalls sparked the completely logical thoughts about paths - those we take, those we avoid and those we stumble upon. With our life paths (as with a path through the woods) we all have choices about how we walk regardless of the path we find ourselves upon.

The first photo you see is the clear path - the one with no obstructions. This path is clearly marked and leads you from point A to B with little trouble or obstruction. This path is also well worn by the many who've walked it before you.

Then there is the the stony path - slightly more treacherous than the clear path because you may come across stones and small hazards along the way.

This is often where the woman turning 30 finds herself. She may decide to pause and look at her life because society tells her that the birthday she is facing is a momentous one that should have weight. During this stop we can look at the stones we have passed. Were they large enough to see and avoid (if we were looking down instead of ahead)? Or were they small, almost unnoticeable inconveniences that we stepped over along the way?





Possibly more interesting is the path that takes us across our roots into a new area. Like the roots of a tree that become exposed when the soil around it has suffered from a drought or when the roots grow so large that they can no longer be contained in a single place.

When looking back upon our first 30 years it may help to acknowledge our own root systems. Have they created the life that we enjoy? Or have they tied us to a path we no longer wish to tread?








There is of course another optional path. The bridge that crosses the water, the hardship and the hazards of life. This path may be seen as the one created by outsiders.

It may be convenient, easy even to follow this path, to stride across the bridge into medicine, law or teaching guided by a parent or mentor who seemed to know exactly where we should go in life.

The view from the bridge may be beautiful but we are protected by the rails and sturdy structure provided for us.






I most often feel like this tree.
Because throughout the path my life has taken, I have been able to rely upon the strong roots instilled in me by my family. But I have also had the opportunity to take the wild and twisting wanderings that sparked my interest.

When I am 80 or 90 I hope I can look upon my own hands and see them this gnarled with arthritis and character. I hope that my skin is wrinkled and weathered by the interesting life that I will have led.

So now, at 30, is the time to look upon the path you have tread and the path you want to take in the future.

Start walking.