U-turn

Change is so difficult to initiate and accept, it almost seems as if it's not worth it to even try. When you're heading down the wrong path, it's frightening and almost impossible to stop in your tracks and turn back toward the faint glowing light. It's easier to hunch your shoulders in defeat and let your feet propel you forward, into the darkness of the abyss...

Luckily, life allows for U-turns. On our personal journeys, we encounter people who are going in the same direction, and our common goals allow us to become either friends or enemies. And sometimes, we encounter those who are moving in the opposite direction from the light, which creates struggle as both of us try to push past each other. Choices are made and chances are taken, and the tiresome trek up the hill begins. Slow progress, setbacks, achievements, failures, feelings of regret and guilt, all mark the journey which we now share, leaning on each other to be able to walk a little straighter. On days when the clouds cover the sun, giving up and moving on may feel like the smarter option, and definitely the less troublesome one. There is never a guarantee that months of hard work will pay off and that all will be well. But if you succeed, your journey will likely become one that you won't readily forget, and be filled with lessons that won't easily slip your mind. Overcoming obstacles is often the best way to forge the strongest bonds.
The hardships are absolutely nothing compared to the joys felt when you step off the dark and treacherous path onto the sun-bathed road together. What has this part of my journey with you taught me? Persevere, try your hardest, trust, and always keep the heart a little softer than the head.