Crossroads

So many times I have asked myself whenever I reached a crossroad in my life; which way do I go? Do I follow the road that everybody walks on or do I follow what my heart tells me to?

Some crossroads that I have reached in the past had been easy ones because there was somebody guiding me. There was somebody who walked ahead of me to make sure that I followed his lead. There was somebody who walked behind me to protect me from being pushed or shoved. But through the years I will always remember that somebody who took my hand and walked with me, passing that crossroad while whispering kind words to ease the fear that he saw in my eyes.

But there came a day when I suddenly stopped as I reached another crossroad. I looked around but there was nobody in sight. I felt the thumping of my heart and the weakening of my knees. I felt so alone. I thought to myself, can I do this? I looked around once again hoping that somebody would be there. There was nobody. I took a deep breath and thought real hard which way to go. Finally, it was time to make a decision. As I started taking my steps towards the path I felt was the right one, I was thinking, that whatever happens, at least I did it on my own. As I reached the other side of the road, I turned around, looked back and I began to smile. I made it! I have passed the crossroad by myself.

From then on, I have done a lot of walking, running, stumbling and at the same time trying to keep myself from being pushed or shoved as I found my path in those crossroads. Along the way, I also learned to step aside and give way, to lead, to walk behind someone. Most importantly, I learned to lend a hand to somebody who I felt was in the same boat I was in sometime in the past - when I was not sure of what to do or which way to follow.

Now, I am faced again with this crossroad of life and I ask myself; do I follow my guide or do I follow my heart?