DETOURS OF THE HEART

I was invited to join a walking group by my best friend. It’s only been two weeks since I joined, and it has been such a fun experience. Waking up early on a weekend when I could sleep in a little longer is always a struggle, but feeling the morning sun and being surrounded by nature makes me feel better than sleeping in — so it’s worth it every time. Our walk starts at 8 a.m. and usually takes about two hours or more. We walk around the lake in our community, and seeing other people walking or running inspires me to stay active.

This weekend, part of the lake trail was blocked because of construction. There was a big bulldozer and a few cleaning boats parked inside the fenced area, so we couldn’t complete our usual route. It disrupted our routine, and for a moment, we didn’t know what to do. Then one of the ladies suggested we try a different path. To our surprise, that detour led us to another part of the community that few of us had ever seen before. It was beautiful — peaceful, green, and unexpectedly refreshing.

That moment opened something inside me. It reminded me of self-discovery and of the truth in Alexander Graham Bell’s famous words:

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones which open for us.”

This quote hit me deeply because it brought back memories of a major event in my life this year. I was supposed to enjoy a vacation with my mother — ten days together, just the two of us. But she passed away in early January, and my vacation was scheduled to start on the 26th.

Losing her broke my heart. My plans of creating new memories with her disappeared in an instant. I went home earlier than planned to be there for her burial. My manager was kind enough to let me stay in the Philippines for the full length of my vacation, understanding how long the travel would take and how much I needed that time.

I didn’t get to spend those days with my mother as I had hoped, but being home allowed me to reconnect with my relatives and travel to different parts of the country. I found comfort in that time — in family, in familiar places, and in the quiet moments when I felt her presence.

I know my mom is now at peace, probably enjoying heaven with my father. The boat trip my children took me on while I was home gave me a sense of calm and reassurance — that everything in life happens for a reason.

As I walked that new path around the lake, I realized how often life’s interruptions lead us to unexpected beauty. The construction that forced us to change our route turned out to be a blessing, just as the pain of losing my mother has led me to see life through gentler, more grateful eyes. Not every closed path is an ending; sometimes it’s a quiet invitation to explore something new. Whether it’s a different route around the lake or a changed rhythm in life, each detour carries a lesson — to keep walking, keep discovering, and to trust that even in loss, there is still light waiting at the next turn.

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