A very dear friend of mine explained to me this week, that she’d come to the realization that each of us is on our own path. I saw her point; felt like that made a lot of sense; and so agreed with her at the time. But something about that conversation did not settle well for me. Perhaps it was because such an approach lends itself to the belief that we are each fundamentally alone.
But we are not alone. Though we are individually responsible for the life we choose to live, there is an abundance of unity waiting for us to experience. And so for me the metaphor is this: while we may be at different points along the path, there is just one path, and it is the path called life. Viewed externally the lives we all lead look so different, it is tempting to believe they are distinct roads. But I have come to see that in the end we are all fellow travelers on the same road. And it feels to me that the point of life is to draw closer together to each other and to the provider of this path as we travel. To share our experiences, to help those that may be coming behind, and to look to those that are a few steps ahead. To listen to one another. To encourage each other. To love each other. So practice with open ears, open eyes, and open hearts. Listen to your heart. Listen to each other.