The Journey

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

‘Mend my life!’

each voice cried.

But you didn’t stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations

though their melancholy

was terrible. It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice,

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do

determined to save

the only life you could save.

-Mary Oliver

 

The Journey by Mary Oliver has been one of my favorite poems for some time.  Each of us will face the struggle of identity in our own way.  Do I fit in? What is my life calling? Along with this, a litany of voices telling us what we should or should not do will rise up.  Of these voices, some will be well meaning and some not. It can be a struggle to silence these words, especially if spoken by those that we love.

Mary Oliver speaks to a desire to be authentically ourselves, even when hearing so many other ideas of how we should be living and showing up in the world.  Life presents so many expectations of who we should be, from those close to us and even ourselves.  Disappointment and frustration exists when we either cannot or will not move in the direction of our true self.

We forget that our lives are just that, ours. No one can live it for us. It is entirely up to us to choose how we spend our time and talents, who we love and what we ultimately contribute. It will never be easy; it’s not meant to be. Mary Oliver says this best with, “It was already late enough, and a wild night, and the road full of fallen branches and stones.” There will be many impasses, roads blocked with branches and stones throughout the journey.  Moments when we will question if it is best to remain on our current path or make adjustment in the hopes of a different and more pleasing outcome.

All we can do is our very best, embracing the person that we wish to be and moving in that direction with passion each and everyday. By doing so we are breaking free from stereotypes given without permission and striving to be uniquely ourselves. We may never get to where we aspire to be, but the lessons and ultimate satisfaction is always in the struggle not in the end result.