All the difference.

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood

~ Robert Frost

I saw this image sprawling before me on a recent early morning run. A path literally diverging in a yellow wood, its endpoints disappearing into a murky fog. The path to the left was obvious and clear. The one to the right hidden behind overgrown bushes but still there. Instead of pausing to ponder which direction to take, I stood in my place just marveling the moment. That moment. The sun had just risen. The surroundings were still stretching their metaphorical arms. It was still. It was quiet. So me? I chose to be the same.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

I waited. First, I heard birds chirping and a few leaves rustling. And then? In that quiet I heard my sister Deanna's laughter. Loud and jovial like always. I heard her voice calling me "Pookie" and saying that she was proud. But I didn't feel sad. Not at all. Because I also heard JoLai and Will and Mommy and Daddy and all of my Ruths, too. I felt them, too. Each standing beside me with heads turned sideways saying, "Yes, that is beautiful. And so are you." Then I thought about where all of these blessings came from and felt this joy stirring inside of me. . . like a fire shut up in my bones. Yes, like that.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

And so. I took a deep drag of that moist atmosphere. I let myself feel that cool air on my face and that warm energy in my soul and I started back on my run. And I felt good and strong and able. I did. Like I could do anything I set my mind to doing.

Anything.

Frost pondered which way to go and took the path that others chose to forgo. Perhaps that does make all of the difference in the long run. But I also think it's good to just stop long enough to see the path and to listen long enough to realize that you're never alone.

Ever.

These days, that's what makes all the difference for me. That.

***
Happy Monday.

I've always loved this poem. I have it laminated and hanging on the door in my office for me to see every single day. Enjoy.

The Road Not Taken

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