Love, fate, and the way of the pilgrim

Today my heart is torn by what might have been. I’ve followed such a lost and lonely path in my life. So much pain and angst. What if my life had taken a different path? What would have been the possibilities? Where would I be now if I had diverged then? I have been very lucky in my life in one respect: I have known many types of love. And even if those whom I have loved take a new direction, choose a different path, for a time their way was mine and we shared something that I realize now was unique to us. Each of these friends has given me a gift and I hope that I have in some way returned their generosity. This I have been able to take with me on my journey, this love stays with me. Fate and free will are funny bedfellows in life. We each make choices that at the time we cannot imagine the possibilities or effects of in the future. There is no one way to know that you are on the right path. You are on the path that you have chosen, willingly or unknowingly. As such, it is the right path. I can see the ‘what ifs’ and follow their trajectory to a myriad of other possibilities. I have a vibrant imagination. And in another life they would also be the ‘right’ path. I wonder if the many paths might, for some people, converge? What would come of the joining of multiple trajectories of fate? Anyway, for me the journey has been long, often disappointing, yet rewarding to know that I have been loved and have loved many times and that I have the capacity to love still and again. This is part of the journey in life and it is a lesson most emphasized by the pilgrimage. We are all pilgrims and to know and recognize the power of love is really the greatest gift of all. I have been loved by someone. Thank you. If I didn't know then, I know now that it has always been.