Road Taken or Not Taken

My husband recently traveled to the Boston area. How in the world can I think of Boston and all of New England without thinking of the Kennedys, President Kennedy and  Robert Frost? Some of you may not be aware the President John Kennedy  

chose Robert Frost as the national poet laureate. I was only in kindergarten when Kennedy was inaugurated, but I remember my parents and my Aunt Margie watching the inauguration. Throughout school we would at times study Robert Frost. How could we not? He was a classic American poet. This week I reflected upon choices and life strategies. I am going to put one of my favorites of his poems, and then write a bit more.

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 steps 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 should 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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, my mom has quoted this poem to me my whole life. Always the thing that has stuck out for me has been the final two lines of the poem. That was the intent of my elders—my parents, my aunts and uncles, my mentors, my teachers….indeed, marching to your own drummer, while following God’s conducting wand, does make all the difference. The other day I read this poem again in its entirety. What stuck out for me that time was the two verses I put in bold….’knowing how way leads on to way’. sigh…isn’t that ever so beautiful?? How way leads on to way….it moved me to tears. From the perspective of quite a few years I can see that indeed, way does lead on to way….tiny little steps in your life lead to places you cannot imagine……it is wondrous, exciting and occasionally intimidating.

Way leads on to way, my friends…and here we are.

“He leadeth me beside still waters”…..I am blessed today…so very blessed…..