Walk the path you've chosen

The birthday cake was the biggest she had ever set eyes on — but then, every scrap of it had been eaten. The party had been the biggest, too. Her sister had surpassed herself. She had tracked down everyone Sheila had ever met, right from nursery school through to her present classmates in college and every club, association or hobby group she had joined. Even those who had flipped burgers with her part time in the summer had been found and invited. It wasn't even awkward to meet the two ex-boyfriends, in this scenario.

It was 2 AM and the last guest had just driven away, leaving the sisters and their parents to go back to their rooms in the hotel. Her parents had splurged, hiring the conference hall and grounds for their daughter's 20th birthday party, and a couple of rooms for a couple of nights there so that the family could set up and wind down.

Half a dozen members of the hotel staff cheerfully helped with loading the presents and cards on to trolleys to bring them to Sheila's room. The little group got to the adjoining doors, her parents hugged and kissed her, the sisters took over the gift-trolleys, said goodnight to the staff and entered their room.

Marie sank down on to her bed, Sheila enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you" she whispered. "Thank you. You've been working for months for this party."

"I have. Now all I can think of is sleep. Happy Birthday again, sis." With that, Marie was asleep.

Sheila was too wound up to sleep. She paced the carpeted floor for a while, then pulled a chair next to the trolleys and began to open her birthday cards.

Soon, she was smiling at all that her friends and family members had written for her. Memories, wishes, congratulatory notes ...

Then, she came across a violet envelope with strangely familiar handwriting on it, in pink sketch pen. "Me. This means You" it said. Sheila peered closely at the handwriting. It really was uncannily familiar. "It looks like MY writing," she thought, suddenly, and flicked the envelope open.

A sheet of pale violet letter paper fell on to her lap. Picking it up, she unfolded it and began to read.

Dear Sheila

You may or may not believe this, but this is yourself writing to you. Yes, yourself. I have got a time turner and gone in to the future and I know some of the things that are going to happen in your life after today, after this week, after this year.

Sheila, you are going to make some important decisions as you go along. Decisions in your professional life, like which career to follow and how long to stay in that career. You are going to make decisions in your personal life, like whether to marry or not, and if so, whom. You are going to decide which city will be your home. Each of these decisions is going to mark a turning point. Things could go one way, they could go another, based on the path you follow at a given point.

I'm not going to lie to you, Sheila. You are going to regret some of your decisions. You are going to resent the well-meaning people whose advice you took on more than one occasion.

On the other hand, some of your decisions are going to be much wiser than you thought they were when you took them. They're going to bring you much joy and fulfilment.

The thing is, Sheila, the decisions you regret and the ones you rejoice in are going to be a package deal. A combo. Because should you have chosen another path at any point, there would have been other, different possibilities.

So I'm going to make a decision here, dearest Sheila.

I'm going to decide not to tell you which decisions you'll wind up regretting and which ones you'll wind up being content with. I'm going to let you decide.

BUT - there's one decision I want you to make NOW.

That is the decision to always take responsibility for your own actions. You are grown up now, Sheila. Legally, you are an independent entity. You are fortunate to have parents who let you do what you want to do, though they can be a bit interfering sometimes (it was they who invited those two ex-boyfriends of yours).

So - decide here and now - that you will not blame anyone else for the things you regret. You'll know you chose a path, and if there were some sharp rocks that cut your feet and made you bleed - well, you chose the route and that's what it took you to.

Sheila, I wonder whether to give this out too. I think I shall.

When you do this - when you take responsibility for your own decisions, you also take your own happiness in your own hands. You'll see, dear. You'll see. It won't be easy, but you'll see.

Have faith in yourself. Have faith in God. Have a fulfilling life.

Yours,
You.

Sheila finished reading the letter. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "I hereby decide not to blame anyone else for any regrets I might have in the future," she whispered. She switched off the reading light, felt her way to her bed, and fell asleep, cuddling the giant teddy bear Marie had gifted her.