Finding nuggets along the path.

I can't tell you how many times in fifty seven years I've been at a fork in the road, wondering which path I should take.

 

 

 

Sometimes I've taken the path that looks easiest,

while on other occasions I taken the path that looks to be the most challenging.

 

More often than not it seems, I have been guided to the path for reasons that may or may not become apparent to me.

 

Having the day off today, I started the morning with a cup of coffee and was looking for one of the ESPN 30 for 30 Biopics to watch while the attic was being cleaned of cobwebs.

 

As I searched the Netflix catalog I came across a similar type of film, (the fork in the path), that looked interesting, and I decided to give it a go. The film was about a man who after loosing his wife to cancer and raising his three kids, decided to run what amounted to 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days. His cause was to bring awareness to the plight of single parent families.

It was a powerful message, an inspiring accomplishment, and a pretty good short film.

For those that are interested, the title was My Run.

 

Aside from the movie I was drawn to a snippet from a quote that was used at the beginning of the film. After watching the film I found myself being guided back to that fork in the path to look for the nugget I had seen at the beginning.

 

It turns out the quote was from Fr. Alfred D'Souza, an inspirational writer whose work I have enjoyed in the past.

As I read the full quote I felt as though it was being directed specifically at me, which I'm sure is the case for most anyone that reads the passage.

 

What compelled me to go back and look for the quote is what has guided me down so many paths in the past.

 

In keeping with the underlying tenet of the quote, I share with you the following:

 

“For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life.

But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time… and remember that time waits for no one…

So stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off benefits, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink, until you’ve sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy… Happiness is a journey, not a destination.”

 

                                                                                                      Fr. Alfred D’Souza

P.S. Though this has perhaps removed a few of the rough edges, Texas I'm afraid, will forever be hard to love.

But I'm happy with that !

Tex.