It starts off with somebody caring for you

Providing your basic needs of shelter and food

Hopefully loving you and teaching you how to love others

You acquire skills through learning

You grow both physically and emotionally

Leaving the nest to venture out into the big wide world

There are many paths to follow

Lots of forks in the road

People pulling and pushing you in all directions

Its hard to know which is the right path to take

Sometimes you take the wrong one in error and face up to danger or bad stuff

You have to turn back and find another path

Follow your heart and your instincts

Having a soulmate can help guide you along

You can motivate each other and give support when needed

If you are blessed with having children, the journey gets tougher

Having to care for them while following your own path takes a lot of energy

You try and pass on to them what you learned on your own journey

Giving them better opportunities than you had growing up

Eventually your children leave your nest to find their own paths

You can only offer them love, guidance and support

Hoping they will find the right path for themselves

As empty nesters you start to discover more unchartered paths

Ones that you had no time to explore during your parenting days

You might take vacations with other empty nesters

Exploring places at a different pace

Seeing things in a different way

Appreciating the true beauty of nature

Hopefully finding long lasting love with your soulmate

Acknowledging that you will have less options on the number of paths to take as you age further

Perhaps you will be on a path that helps you understand the true meaning of life

This will be a time for you to find inner peace and be at one with yourself and the universe

Eventually you will be on a path that will end your journey

With good fortune, you will have some time to pause and look back to say

That was one hell of a ride!