Everything is going to work out OK

When I hiked two weeks ago I followed a path through the woods which wound up-down-left-right. I knew the effort which would be required, I knew how to prepare, I knew the tools to take along for contingencies. I knew that I would eventually emerge at a beautiful overlook because I'd been down this path before. I had little fear of hiking at night because of prior experience and preparation.

My life's path this past year-and-a-half has obviously been one where I had no prior experience to lean upon. Seventeen months ago it was pleasure to picture Robin and I in old age. Maybe we'd be doing different activities (shuffleboard anyone?) but I'd always expected that we would have the same positive outlook, the same joy for living as we grew older. We couldn't anticipate all the changes which would occur in the years getting there - but "life would be good". Who knew that cancer could bring those dreams to such a hard ending so quickly?

My journey since cancer interrupted Robin's life has had its parallels to the hiking trip. Except with no prior experience there was no knowledge to rely upon - knowledge which could reduce fear and feelings of uncertainty. Reading about someone else's experience supporting a cancer survivor, or someone else's experience grieving seems flat and two-dimensional compared to what happens in real life. After all, who could read volumes about hiking the Rockies then purchase maps and simply go out and cross the mountains on foot expecting success? Anyone who tried to imagine the undertaking would likely focus on the struggles to be overcome, the heartache to be felt, the suffering to be endured. On the other hand, with no prior experience they wouldn't be able to anticipate the potential opportunities for learning, the beauty to be seen, the little joys to be found along the way.

People who are forced into a journey that’s not of their own making can focus on all the things that have gone wrong, could go wrong and will go wrong. If there's one thing I learned from our trip it was to keep the focus on what's going right. I don't now how to do something like this without the faith that *there's a plan for each of us and no matter how bad things might seem along the way, everything is going to work out OK*.