New beginnings rarely go according to plan.
They aren't linear like we envision.
And whether you're 26 or 83, if you've ever chosen a new direction in life, you know it's as much about what you're internally up against as it is about external obstacles.
Here's Mary's story. Questions for reflection are at the end.
The Second Act
Mary's brow furrowed as she slammed her third crossword puzzle of the day down on the wooden kitchen table. "What am I doing?" she asked, running her hands through her graying hair.
Before she had time to think, the kitchen phone rang. Mary glanced at the caller ID and sighed. It was Emily, her daughter.
"Why is she calling now? We always talk in the evening," Mary wondered.
Bracing herself, Mary stood up abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. Her hand hovered over the receiver. "Hi, sweetie. Is everything okay?"
"Mom, what's going on?" Emily snooped.
"I heard from Alice that you're looking for volunteer work," her voice barely concealing her disapproval.
Mary winced, mentally cursing the small-town grapevine. She'd wanted to have something in place before facing her daughter's inevitable objections.
"You don't need to worry about that right now. Just enjoy the peace and quiet you've earned," Emily went on.
"Trying something new will only stress you out and keep you from doing the things you already love, like time with the grandkids," she continued.
Holding the phone between her ear and shoulder, Mary's eyes rolled toward the ceiling. She bit back her initial reaction, warmly saying, "I know you mean well, sweetie. And I do love visiting you all—the twins are growing up so fast."
But even as the peacemaking words left her mouth, something inside Mary rebelled. She hesitated, then added, "But I can't help feeling there might be more for me to do here, too."
"I know, Mom. We need to talk more. I worry about you," Emily said before hanging up.
Mary set the phone down. She loved her daughter dearly, but Emily's constant worry felt more like micromanagement than unconditional love. Days like this made her extra thankful for the ninety miles between them.
But not even miles of back roads could stop Alice—the friendly yet notorious town gossip behind the coffee shop counter—from spilling the beans to Emily.
"I should have known better," Mary's shoulders slumped.
Putting two and two together, Mary concluded that Alice must have overheard her casually mention her desire for something meaningful, like a volunteer opportunity, to her morning coffee group yesterday. True to form, it appeared she wasted no time passing that tidbit straight to Emily.
"Perhaps the cat being out of the bag is a blessing in disguise," Mary told herself, searching for the silver lining. "Conflict was never my strong suit," she reasoned softly.
With that thought, Mary decided it was time for a change, even if just a small one.
She considered, "What if I take a different route to the coffee shop instead of my usual route?"
Keeping her promise, Mary left the house several minutes earlier the following day to walk along the shoreline.
The salty breeze and seagulls provided a refreshing sensory change from simply waving at her neighbors walking their dogs and barely noticing her surroundings.
As she rounded the bend, something caught her eye. A group of people were gathered on the beach, clearly engaged in some activity. Curious, Mary moved closer.
Taking a deep breath, Mary approached the group. "Excuse me," she called out, her voice carrying over the crashing waves. "What's going on here?"
A woman with sun-kissed skin and a bright smile stepped forward. "We're with the new conservation group. I'm Sarah, the coordinator. We're starting the beach cleanup efforts."
Mary nodded, taking in the scene. "I've heard about your group. You're working to protect the beach's natural habitat, right?"
"That's right!" Sarah's eyes lit up. "We're looking for new volunteers. Would you like to join us?"
At first, Mary was offended. "Do I look that desperate? No way, this is not my cup of tea." she thought to herself.
"I don't know anything about turtles or ecological stuff," she offered as an excuse to Sarah. "I've always been more of a keep-my-hands-clean, book-type person," she declared.
Sarah smiled. "We all start somewhere. Why don't you give it a try? We're short a few volunteers this week, and we could use your help if you're willing."
Mary shook her head, signaling loud and clear, "Thanks, but no thanks," as she turned away to make her way to the coffee shop.
Opening the front door of the coffee shop, Mary desperately hoped to avoid Alice. As an academic, Mary was used to having all the answers, but she wasn't sure how to confront Alice yet.
"The usual?" a woman other than Alice asked. Relieved, Mary replied, "Yes, please. Coffee. Black."
Mary arrived much later today, so the ladies in her coffee klatch had already left.
While quietly sipping her coffee at a corner table, Mary heard others echo relief that the beach cleanup was in full swing, reinforcing it was a much-needed addition to their community.
Tossing her cup into the trash, Mary secretly wished she could find another volunteer effort to join with someone as energetic as Sarah at the helm. At least for now, it gave her hope that something perfect for her was out there.
As Mary lay in bed that night, her thoughts circled back to Sarah's open invitation. She was growing more intrigued by the opportunity.
Being a realist, her mind dutifully traced through all possible scenarios.
"Am I being too naive about this?" she contemplated.
"What if I make a fool of myself? What if I can't keep up?"
The more she pondered, the more she realized how little else in her life felt right.
"I've spent so long playing it safe," she thought. "If I'm ever going to grow, I have to get out there and do something I've never done. I can't let fear hold me back anymore."
Mary was finally honest with herself.
Deep down, she knew it wasn't the task holding her back—she used to love to garden, after all. It was time to put her fears aside and take a chance.
The next day, she found herself ankle-deep in sand, trash bag in hand.
As she picked up bits of litter, she began noticing things she'd never seen before—the intricate patterns in seashells, the varied textures of seaweed washed ashore, and the way certain rocks contained tiny fossils, visible only if you looked closely.
She felt like a kid again.
What started as a reluctant step outside her comfort zone quickly became a newfound passion.
One day, Sarah, the group leader, approached Mary with a colorful seashell in hand.
"I noticed you have a knack for explaining things. Would you like to help us teach the younger kids about these shells while their older siblings and parents are busy helping us out?"
Realizing this would be more of a time commitment, Mary instinctively thought, "But what about Emily?" Mary knew she wouldn't approve, much less understand.
"Mom, there are better ways to spend your time than picking up trash," she imaged her daughter's critical voice saying.
Thankfully, Sarah agreed Mary could be flexible with her work and schedule it around her upcoming visits to see Emily and the twins. Mary wanted to keep it secret until the time was right.
Over the next several days, Mary created simple, fun activities for the children who participated in the cleanups, focusing on seashells and other marine life.
To her surprise, she enjoyed it immensely. "If only Emily could see me now," Mary chuckled as she worked on her latest lesson.
As fate would have it, Mary was sitting on her front porch late one Saturday afternoon when Emily's car unexpectedly drove up. Mary thought Emily was busy with the twins' soccer games.
"What a surprise!" Mary exclaimed as they hugged.
"Yeah, the twins got invited to a sleepover, and Brad's going to watch the game with the guys, so here I am. Wow, you look so tan!" Emily immediately remarked. Mary explained that she'd been taking longer walks along the beach.
"You're always telling me to take better care of myself," she said with a smile. "The fresh air and exercise are doing wonders for my health."
Mary's conscience quickened. She felt guilty for not being entirely truthful.
Upon entering the kitchen, Emily saw her mother's projects spread across the table - colorful posters about aquatic life, handmade seashell crafts, and lesson plans that reminded her of Mary's teaching days.
"What's all this?" Emily asked, skeptical and confused, as she picked up one of the posters.
"Honey, let's grab that dinner you drove all this way for. We need to talk," Mary said, taking a deep breath. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you."
Mary poured her heart out to Emily between bites of lemony grilled seafood.
"Mom, I had no idea," Emily apologetically uttered.
"But now that you mention it, I see that spark in your eyes again, just like when you were teaching. I was so worried about you getting overwhelmed or hurt I didn't realize I was holding you back from finding something that fulfills you."
Mary reached across the table and squeezed her daughter's hand.
"Sweetheart, I know you meant well. But I didn't need protection—I needed permission to live this new chapter on my own terms."
Tears of gratitude flowed as the two watched the sunset over the ocean before heading their separate ways. Cherishing this moment, Mary hugged her daughter like never before, marveling at how a simple change in her routine had opened up a whole new world.
It was the beginning of an exciting new chapter—for both of them.
The Lesson Within
- Where are you playing it safe, and what might you be missing out on by doing so?
- Are you holding yourself back to meet someone else's expectations?
- What small change in your routine could open up new possibilities for you?
- If not now, when will you give yourself permission to try something new?
The Moral of the Story
I'm taking my advice. It's been ages since I shared a short story with anyone. But as I shared in last week's email, it was time to slow down and deal with my restlessness. That's how Mary's story was born.
Stay curious,
Michelle
