Choices

Today in the car I was listening to a beautiful song by The Roches, who, incidently, are performing in Albany at the end of the month and my dad and I are going to see from the fourth row. The song is called "Instead I Chose" and is not only hauntingly beautiful but also thought provoking: what are the choices you've made in your life? What have you missed out on? What have you embraced? Here are some lyrics:

I had that chance to fall in love
the thing is
I didn't think it was worth it anymore
responsibilities spoke louder, I guess
instead I chose to walk the other way
and be here
I had that chance to leave this mess
but isn't it funny
how I stayed put
saddled up and harnessed
caught horse
instead I chose to call it love
this hard drive
I am riding into the sunset.

I tried one day when we were listening to this song in the car to explain to Michaela that she has the choice to do and be anything she wants to be in life and what an exciting opportunity that is. To me, that is one of the best things about having children... instilling the idea that anything is possible to them through dedication, hard work and blessings from God.

I then started thinking about my choices: my spouse, my job, my house, my church, my friends, my time, my life. How did I get to where I am today? How did it turn out that today I did the things I did? (It was VERY exciting- fed my kids, made beds, did laundry, talked on the phone to Dan and my mom, got dressed, drove Michaela to VBS, talked with some other moms, went grocery shopping, wrote this blog entry.)

Can you think of five choices you've made that have brought you to were you are today?

I've got to believe that the biggest choice that impacted my life today is going to Plattsburgh for college... I changed my major there, met my husband there and set the course for my life. The rest seems to have happened out of that framework. Had I gone somewhere else, I may have ended up doing something more high-powered than social work, not met Dan, gone to get advanced degrees beyond my Master's Degree, not had children, lived in a more urban setting. Or maybe not. Would I be happier? Dissatisfied? Empty? Fulfilled? Richer? Poorer? Thinner? Fatter?

Food for thought... what got you to where you are today?
I'd love to hear any and all thougths you have.