The Choice

A young man was driving down a lonely country road one evening on the way to a friends house to enjoy some music and movies. As he was driving down this lonely road, he started to notice the sky and the road around him changing. He began to notice that the changes were images from his life, from his first memories to his latest.

He pulled his car to the side of the road, and made his way out of the car, to take in what was happening. He glanced toward what he knew to be a field, but the field had images of his worst moments in life rushing by. The young man started thinking back to what he could have and should have done differently in those terrible times. From the time he stole something from the gas station, to the time he ran away when his Grandfather died. He also started thinking about how his parents must of felt when he chose to go his own way and how heart-broken they must have been when he would throw his arms in the air and just walk away when they tried to help him out with parental advice.

Once he started pondering these moments, he saw the field change once more. Only this time it had 4 doors in a semi-circle in the field. He moved toward these doors to inspect what he was seeing. As he drew closer to these 4 doors he realized that they also contained different images and moments unique to his life. The first door had an image of his Mom and Dad standing on their front porch watching their then little boy playing happily in the yard. The second door had images of him and his Grandfather fishing in the stream. The third door had an image from one of those not so proud moments of his life. The fourth and final door was surrounded in light, and beautiful fluffy clouds. He could hear voices, some of which he recognized and others that he just couldn't place. They were talking to him all at once, bits of what they were saying were making it through to him and others were too garbled to understand. The voice coming through to him the most was that of his Grandfather. The one man he felt closest to, the one person he had trusted more then anyone. The young man started to cry and beg his Grandfather to come back to him, he begged for him to forgive him for all the terrible things he had done to his parents. He pleaded to be with his Grandfather again.

While the young man was standing in this field looking at these doors, wondering what he was suppose to do, he noticed that the third door that had his not so proud moments floating around started to disappear. But, the first, second, and fourth doors remained and the fourth door was getting stronger with images of light and the voices were coming louder and faster. He felt as though this fourth door was calling him nearer. He moved inch by inch toward the door trying to see through to the other side. He got so close he could have stepped right into that door. It was then he saw something out of the corner of his eye. What was he seeing? It couldn't be true! His Grandfather who he loved so much and would have done anything for was standing beside him. He put out his hand and grabbed tight to his beloved Grandson. The young man hugged his Grandfather and started to cry once more. He started blurting out how sorry he was for doing things he knew his Grandfather wouldn't approve of, he begged once again for forgiveness.

The young man's Grandfather told the young man to turn back toward his car. When he did this the Grandfather started to explain what was happening. The young man peered toward his car trying to comprehend what he was seeing. His car was off in a ditch up against a tree, the engine of his car was steaming, and he could see himself in the front seat slid down with his head on the steering wheel.

The wise old Grandfather started to explain to the young man that, this was a time to make decisions. This was a time to realize that he needed to change his ways. He needed to change the way he was treating his family, and he needed to realize that his Grandfather did not leave him because he wanted to. It was just his time.

The Grandfather told the young man he had a few choices to make. He could either go with his beloved Grandfather, and never feel pain or hurt again. He could return to his body in his car and wait for help and then return to his family. Or he could stay in the field and wonder forever. The young man looked into his Grandfather's eyes and told him that he wanted to go with him, and he wanted to return to his family. His Grandfather smiled and told him he couldn't have it both ways. The Grandfather also told him that he thought the young man should return to his car, and return to be with his family. He added that he knew the young man would change his ways, and that his life was meant for big things.

They hugged one last time before the young man decided he would return to his car and to his family. As he started to walk back toward his mangled car, he turned one last time to see his Grandfather smiling broadly at him and the last three doors were fading away like a dream. His Grandfather turned and walked back into the light and cloud filled door and disappeared.

The young man re-entered his body. He heard noises once again and realized it was help. People were all over helping him to make his way back to his family like his Grandfather had wanted.

The young man never forgot his experience that evening on that lonely old road. He thought often about what his Grandfather had told him. He thought often about how he could make up for all the wrong he had done. Years later he shared his experience that day with his parents, his wife and their sons. He always reminded himself that he almost missed these wonderful moments that had came to pass. And every so often he would glance toward the sky and clouds and tell his Grandfather thank you and I love you.