The Path We Choose

It’s not the storms that shake the trees,

Nor the waves that batter restless seas,

But the steps we take on shifting sand,

The grip we find in slipping hands.

It’s not the weight of burdens borne,

The jagged thorns or hearts forlorn,

But the way we hold the lantern’s glow,

To light the darkened paths we go.

The trials come, relentless, vast,

Unyielding echoes of the past.

Yet shadows falter, lose their hold,

When we decide to be bold.

For pain is pain, a timeless thread,

Worn through lives, the living and dead.

But how we weave it, strand by strand,

It can shape a future, strong or bland.

Some crumble under sorrow’s sting,

While others learn to spread their wings.

Through every cut, they find a scar

That maps the skies where triumphs are.

The rain may fall, the skies may cry,

But do you curse, or do you try?

To see the blooms the storm may bring,

To hear the melodies they sing.

Each broken dream, a whispered dare,

To rise anew, to face, repair.

For every loss, a seed may grow,

If we but water what we sow.

The road may twist, the hills may climb,

With aching legs, you mark the time.

But progress comes in every stride,

When strength and grace walk side by side.

It’s not the wounds, the scars, the pain,

Nor even moments fought in vain,

But what we learn, what truths we keep,

That turns our struggles into leaps.

For rivers bend, and mountains shift,

And time, though slow, becomes a gift.

Not what we suffer, but what we glean,

Through murky depths or meadows green.

Each choice we make, each word we speak,

Can fortify the walls we seek.

Or, brick by brick, tear down the fears,

To build a bridge across the years.

It’s not the losses nor the gain,

But how do we dance in the sun and rain?

For every tear, a spark of fire,

To fuel the engines of desire.

In choosing love when hate feels near,

In finding hope within the fear,

We shape the path, we set the tone,

For now, we face the vast unknown.

And when the mirrors show our faces,

Reflecting on every fall from grace,

Will we see a soul that tried,

Or one that turned from pain and died?

The answer lies in the steps we take,

In choosing healing over aches.

For life will challenge, tear, and test,

But it’s our choice to build, to rest.

So, walk the road with head held high,

Through fire’s burn or winter’s cry.

Not what we go through but what we do,

We will chart the map and see you through it.

Each stumble, step, a chance to grow,

To craft a story few may know.

Yet in the telling, loud or still,

The power rests within our will.

It’s not the tempest, nor the tide,

But how we navigate the ride.

Through fear, through loss, through skies of blue—

You carved the journey’s shape.

Progress doesn’t always feel like victory; sometimes, it feels like heartbreak, exhaustion, or simply dragging yourself forward when everything begs you to stop. It’s easy to mistake those heavy, uncertain moments for failure. But often, they’re the foundation of our defining triumphs. The tears we cry, the doubts we wrestle with, and the setbacks we endure teach us resilience in ways no celebration ever could. Those moments shape us—quietly and profoundly—into someone stronger, wiser, and braver.

So when progress feels more like pain than purpose, remember that growth is often invisible at first, buried deep within the struggle. Keep going. Keep choosing to take one more step. One day, when you least expect it, you’ll look back and realize those hardest moments weren’t just obstacles—they were the path itself, leading you to a place you didn’t yet know you could reach.