We all might walk the same road but its a different path we all seek....

I hope everyone had a beautiful Mother's day weekend, I know I did. We went for a wonderful walk along the wooded coastal shores of New Hampshire. I love walking in the woods, I find such a peace there and it seems that the magic of the trees and their majesty call to my heart and soul. Yesterday as we walked the wooded path coming to forks in the road and following some that looped us around sometimes back to the same spot others in a new direction, I thought of how similar to life today's walk was. These were no ordinary paths, these once were the paths of soldiers and guards that once watched over theses shores for enemies or maybe even approaching storms. Now grass and graffiti replace the once I am sure maintained land. What stories those trees could tell if we only knew how to listen. In life I have tried to follow many paths, some that have been laid before me. Filled with stories of adventures and woes. I have also made my own paths alone and in fear of the unknown. Along the way others and myself leaving bread crumbs for those that wish to follow. Those that seek a new path or one of their ancestors. Yet yesterday I realized that no matter how many people walked these paths now or in the past each one had its own individual experience and reason they made the choices they did. No two paths are ever the same even if the paths are made of the very same stones. That after me and before me these paths would be walked and no two experiences would be the same but yet we all at least yesterday were seeking the same thing, family, nature, woods, ocean, and maybe even a bit of peace. It made me think of a saying by the Zen poet Matsuo Basho "Seek not to follow in the footsteps of the elders, rather seek what they sought" That it is not someone else path we should be seeking but to create our own. That the qualities and virtues they stood for can not be attained by merely following someone else path they have laid before us but in discovering those things in our self by seeking our own answers, making our own choices and following our own path. That even though the landscape might be the same we must see it with new eyes, our eyes. That way we can never be disappointed that we didn't experience what another did on that path. You see that was their path and you must walk yours. Like us yesterday, some on the path came across snakes and bees that scared them, others rushed by missing the turtle hiding in the brush and other found it hot at times, me I found beauty in the trees and the rocks on the path called out to me but most of all I was grateful to see once again there is more to life when I use my new eyes to see....