The title of this post is from the poem by Robert Frost – one of my favorites – and is a reflection on Frost’s past and his satisfaction of doing things his way. As our children go off and discover the world it’s important to remember to let them explore the road less traveled. It’s hard to watch your children go into the unknown and not worry, but it’s also important to let them make their own mistakes as well as their own victories.

The genesis of this post was listening to a young man’s parents telling (dictating) to him what he needed to do after graduation – to the point of how much time he would get off before starting work. The father had arranged a job for him and seemed rather pleased with the choice of vocation for his son – who just sat in silence.

Maybe the young man was happy with the road chosen for him – I’ll never know. I can’t help but wonder if the world lost a Picasso or a Hemingway because his choices were made for him and his true potential was never realized. What I want for our children is to see them grow into whatever their abilities allow them. I want them to take the road less traveled by – and as Frost said – that will make all the difference.