The Golden Spoons: The Road Not Taken . . .

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The Road Not Taken

by Robert Frost

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 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.

This has always been one of my favorite poems. Essentially, it is all about choices. To take the safe, predictable path? Or to take the unbeaten, more uncertain path and hope for the best?

Our lives are full of choices. We make small ones every day - what to wear, what to eat, how to use our time wisely (or not!). In life, though, there are plenty of big choices, too, like college, career, marriage, and kids. Those are the ones that sometimes cause us to stumble on our path.

At the end of that poem though, there is a sense of no regret. "And that has made all the difference." That turned out to be the right choice.

I can't really say that I have frequently taken the "road less traveled" in my life or that stepping out of the box is something people would/should expect from me. I can say, however, that I really have no regrets about the choices I have made. Do I think about the other path occasionally?? Sure. I might briefly consider what kind of exciting career I might have had or how nice it would be to have a little extra pocket change from time to time. But, then I look at my surroundings - my husband, my girls - and I know that I am where I am supposed to be. I know I took the right road.

What are some of the choices that led me here?

I went to college in what my mom called "a big city." It doesn't seem so big now, but compared to the small town where I spent the first eighteen years of my life. I guess it was. However, that was one of only a couple of colleges at the time that offered my chosen major. It was also the "big city" where I met the guy that would eventually become my husband.

I got married when I was twenty-one. A little young? Perhaps. Hard decision? No. My husband is absolutely my best friend. He was then and he is now. Together, we have weathered some storms but we have a strong marriage and we have built a wonderful life with abundant blessings.

I had my first daughter at twenty-five. Again, a little young?? Maybe. Motherhood is hard and it is not at all what I expected it to be. However, eleven years and three daughters later, I wouldn't change a thing. As they say, it's the hardest job you'll ever love. My heart is full and I wear my motherhood hat with immense pride and joy. (Although, the hat does get a little crooked from time to time!)

When my first daughter was born, I became a stay at home mom and have been one since then. (Yep - it's been over eleven years since I got a paycheck!) When they were babies, there were days where I felt so isolated and alone. Even now, there are days when I wonder what my purpose is and what I have really accomplished. Then, I look at my girls and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was the right decision for me and the right decision for them. (I totally acknowledge and respect that it is not the right decision for everyone. No judgement, here, I promise!)

For me, some of the big choices - the ones that should really have been the hardest to make - were actually some of the easiest. It was these choices that, to me, were crystal clear. I know the road I chose was the right one for me "and that has made all the difference."

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This post was written as part of Finish The Sentence Friday and the prompt was "The hardest choice I've ever made . . . ." FTSF is hosted by some wonderful blogging ladies. Please give them a visit and check out all the other blogs that participate as well!

Janine at Janine’s Confessions of a Mommyaholic

Stephanie at Mommy, for Real

Kate at Can I Get Another Bottle of Whine?

Kristi at Finding Ninee

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