Several years ago when faced with a personal crisis; one brought on by my own doing, I sought the counsel of a very wise man. Our meeting that day was extremely difficult. No one is eager to admit their failures and face their fears willingly.
Nearly five years later, there is one point that he brought up that I have never forgotten. We all face speed bumps in our lives. This was just one that I was facing in mine. I had a choice. I could either treat it as a stop sign; basically retreat from my life as I knew it, or continue forward; taking with me the knowledge that this was a just a blip in the grand scheme of life and the lessons I learn from it would carry me forward over the bump.
While I am in no way proud of the mistakes made in my past, I am extremely grateful for those who stood by me through the worst of it, lent an ear or simply a shoulder to cry on. I am beholden to that wise man from 5 years ago, who did not openly judge but allowed me to openly judge myself.
This is a reminder to all that as you come upon your own speed bumps in life, there are others out there to help you continue over them. They are your family, your friends, your spiritual adviser and the many service organizations in your community.
When faced with a speed bump, don't look at it as a stop sign. Continue forward over it with the help of those who care. True, the road on the other side may lead you in a direction you didn't foresee; but who's to say that this new path isn't a brighter and more fulfilling one?
