Hang on, it may just be a bumpy ride!

Life has a funny way of well, being life.

When we are little we were encouraged to roll with the punches, count every day as a blessing and thank the lord every night when we lay our tiny heads on our pillows at night.

As parents we try our hardest to protect our kids from just about everything! When they are newborns its about protecting them from germs so they don't catch a cold, when they are toddlers its about food and choking, and as teens, oh lord, its just about everything! Every street they cross and every person they will encounter, and of course, every picture they share on Instagram!

But as the days pass and the years go by, they learn. They learn that every single day is different and every new experience will make them into who they are. Its challenging though to teach them that. Humans tend to be most comfortable as status quo, stable, untouched and not shifted. Maybe we stay in the same home, at the same job or with the same hair style forever!

Change is scary, it is uncomfortable to most people, and it can actually bring on anxiety to some. But what I have learned over my years of growing up and especially while being a mom, is that without change we cannot grow. If we continue to be who we were without bringing forth our experiences then we would still be that 2 year old toddler that our mothers' protected from choking and drowning. If we choose to accept things just because they are easier, then we will never get to the place we were perhaps meant to be.

Recently I read the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, (I actually read it along side my 15 year old son). He had to read it for Grade 9 English class and I thought if I read it with him it would be easier for us to have discussions. I learned a lot by reading this book. Besides learning that a 15 year old doesn't think reading is actually a great pass time, I also learned about our personal journeys. I learned that we all have the opportunity to take a different the path, maybe even the one we were actually meant to follow so we can achieve our personal legend; the person that was placed on this earth.

The main character met people along the way, he opened his heart and his mind to their teachings. He trusted in his belief that the road (scary and challenging) was the road that would potentially bring him the most happiness. Not only was this story a great teaching for my 15 year old son, it also helped me gain perspective of lessons and teachings of others. The main character began to realize that sometimes the safe road is not always the best one. It may be for some, but definitely not for all. And to the ones that choose to take the road less traveled, the road with the scary encounters and questioning directions, it is ok, it is ok to want to go down that road.

Change is scary but it doesn't mean you wont adjust. It may take some time with every alteration you make, but eventually you adapt. We as humans become resilient to our choices, because it is those choices that make us who we were meant to be in the first place. And sometimes when you make changes in your life, those around you don't like it, it makes them feel uncomfortable and it makes them feel out of control. Sometimes people forget what they were taught when they were little; roll with the punches, count your blessings and thank the lord every night for life.

Live a great life, try and be the best person you can be. If that means to stay in that same home with that same haircut then so be it, but if it means something different to you, then so be that too!

Everyone has the right to foster their own legend and to pursue their own personal journey. Treasure and happiness means something different to all of us, make your own definition for both. Take what you learned from your own parents and teach it to your children. The great and fantastic part of that is that your children will hear it differently then how you said it, but that's ok because that is how they want to hear it. Love them, protect them and tell them that change is not bad, at times it is scary, but never let fear stop you from growing.

Life is wonderful and great, at the end, we need to be ok with every choice we have made in our lives. Never regret anything that made you smile. Even if it was a brown fringed suede jacket in Grade 8, if you liked it, then perfect! I hope we can all continue our journey to find our own personal legend, I hope that especially for my own children. And when they do, I will remind them to hang on tight, it may just be a bumpy ride!

That's my peace today!