Today as I went on a quick morning run, I decided to go through part of our neighborhood that has been closed for the past couple of months due to street and drainage repairs. The detour, adding at least 10 minutes onto my daily commute, has been frustrating. While running and secretly wanting to mock the lack of progress, I started to glean a different perspective. Once the repairs are complete, the roads will be better for driving and fewer homes will be affected by flooding issues – pretty good results and probably worth my inconvenience.
I then started to think of the many more serious detours I’ve had in my life. Times when I think it’s smooth sailing and I’m content on the road I’m traveling, only to be forced to take a detour – leading to sadness, pain, anger, fear, stress, etc. For me, each detour has been met with resistance and yet has somehow resulted in something better. After my marriage ended, I was on a detour for 10 years as a divorced single and had pretty much given up hope for finding that marriage road again. When it did appear, I found the road to be stronger, smoother, faster, and better maintained (Thank you Brett). Now with my kids being young adults and starting to get wings of their own, I’m being detoured off the “full time” parenting road. I don’t particularly like this detour but like all detours, I’m beginning to realize I will grow and there will be good that comes from it. When you go through your detours in life, whether marriage, friendships, parenting, health, career, loss of loved ones, legal, etc., remember there is still a road beneath your feet. It will get you where you need to be and in a way that shapes you into the person you were meant to be.