No One Walks the Path of Life Alone

As a writer sometimes I get caught up in thinking about my personal life story.  I have pondered many times, who are these people, and why are they in my life?  Ah- the gift of characterization. 

​Sometimes portions of our life’s journey are for others, not necessarily for us.  At times, mysterious characters travel with us; our lives meet and intersect for a time. You may find yourself, like I have asking, “Who are you, and why are you here?”  These strangers often change our course.  But the choice is ours whether they lead us to, or detour us from, our final destination. Some characters are for a lifetime; others for a season, and a few could enter at a divinely appointed moment in time.  The latter seem to disappear as quickly as the appeared, but that doesn’t mean that their entrance in our lives had no impact. Quite the contrary, often they leave behind a dramatic and sustaining effect that remains long after they are gone.  Lifetime characters help in shaping the people we become, they buffet us. They lock arms and forever embrace us.  Let’s face it, for good or bad, they stick with us for a lifetime! Seasonal characters, I believe are the most purposeful. The walk beside us, maybe even stride for stride or possibly hand-in-hand. They add flavor and distinction to our lives. and we truly miss them when they are gone. Seasonal characters show us what we are made of – they test our strengths and our weaknesses. They improve our life, or make it miserable.  Sometimes with grief or a sigh of relief, they are seasoning, leaving a bitter or sweet aftertaste. 

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