Merging With Life

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light." ~Norman B. Rice

Every work day, there is a long and sometimes crowded freeeway merge I have to endure. The traffic flowing southbound is moving rather quickly. There are cars, semi-trucks, vans and every known type of vehicle speeding towards some destination. It can be a challenge for many drivers to merge into this moving mass of traffic smoothly.

One can watch the seasoned driver adjust speed and gracefully slide into an opening in the lane of traffic. Others are more timid and brake, speed up, brake again, unsure of where to position themselves. We then have those that simply stop, scared to move or risk the adventure of freeway traffic.

Life for many can be like our last merging traffic driver. Too afraid to engage or risk the adventure, they sit at the end of the on ramp. The driver behind them in life will try to coax them along. It could be with the beep of a horn or an encouraging word. Sometimes this works, and sometimes we simply drive around them.

It is too bad that many pull over and never get on the freeway. They park their car on the median and watch life drive by. An emergency vehicle comes along to assist them, to encourage them. That emergency vehicle could be a spouse, a friend or a co-worker. That emergency vehicle could be you.

Life can be described as merging and exiting the stream of traffic. It is a journey that we can either take part in or sit idly by along the median. And each of us can be the driving instructor, encouraging someone off the side of the road and into traffic.

Leave the hand gestures and words of rage buried deep in the ground. Decide to lift up the other person and help them along. You never know what great things an opportunity such as meeting and helping another person will have on your life.

Stay inspired my friends!