As we start another school year, I can’t help but think of a Robert Frost poem that I quoted when I was MC at my high school graduation.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.”

It’s hard to take the road less travelled by.  In school.  In work.  In life.

To blaze a trail you have to be confident, ready to get up when you fall, squash self-doubt and believe in yourself.

You might have to tell a friend you don’t want to do things their way.  Or a boss you disagree.  You might have to change careers or university courses.  You might have to live your life off the beaten path.  Amid judgement and questions and pain.

But looking back, I always learned the most during times when I thought there was no way I could do it.  When I walked into the fire.  Not knowing where I was going but trusting that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Whether in the school yard or in the classroom, I hope my kids learn from challenges and embrace joy.  I hope they meet new friends and grow with old ones.  I hope they remember to be brave and kind.  And I hope they always take the road less travelled.