The Higher Road

by Cheryl Merrick
I stand at the fork in the road,
  as I have many times before.
Hesitating, 
  I gaze at my well trod path
  of sacrificing my life for others.
Once it seemed so noble.
Day after day I pushed myself,
  supposedly making others happy,
  till, reaching my end,
  I collapsed in bed,
  unable to move.



Left alone to contemplate my actions,
  I began to see 
  the lack of progress
  of those I "helped".
Stunned, I realized that my sacrifice
  had only been enabling them
  to disown responsibility
  for their own lives.
No. I will not take that path again.

Finally, I am accepting that adults 
  need to be responsible 
  for their own lives,
  as I must for mine.
I understand, now, that 
  not caring for myself
  is far from noble.
The time has come at last
  for me to take
  the higher road.