The path we were meant to take

We all walk a path that begins the day we are born, unique in its turns, unexpected in its terrain. For some the trail looks bright and clear; for others it winds through shadows. We move forward with the best map we have at the time, not knowing the bends ahead. Along the way life happens: joy and love, yes, but also pain, loss, fear, and those moments that leave us raw and bewildered.

For so long I thought my path was the wrong one. It felt like I was walking over shards of glass I kept cutting myself on, convinced that bleeding was just part of the journey. I learned to limp on, accepting pain as normal because I didn’t yet have the language to name it anything else. It was exhausting and lonely, and I believed the wound proved I had been dealt a bad hand.

Now, standing where I am, things look different. The pieces begin to make sense. Maybe the turns I resented were the ones that taught me what I needed to know, maybe those very cuts opened the way to this clarity. I don’t romanticize the pain, but I can look back without bitterness and see that every step, however jagged, brought me here. And somehow, against my old beliefs, that feels quietly worth it.

Working in end-of-life care, and witnessing many last breaths and goodbyes, has deepened my sense of both the value and fragility of life. It has also shown me that while I struggled, I also strengthened. We each have a path we have walked/stumbled on, and one we are still walking. As long as we keep learning, growing, and evolving, and find ways to share our experiences so others feel less alone, then maybe that too is a sign that this was the exact path we were meant to take.

Perhaps the past was never meant to be perfect, only purposeful. Each stumble, each scar, a quiet teacher shaping us for this moment. When we stop fighting the road behind us, we can finally see how it was carrying us here all along. This was the path I was meant to take... I see it now.

xo

Gabby

Photo Credit - Julian Vargas

You can find him on Instagram: @_therustyphotog_