I distinctly remember sitting down one day with my O magazine and reading this quote by George Eliot, “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” That moment changed my life. At the time I was a stay-at-home mother of three little boys just trying to make it through each day. It’s easy to get bogged down with the trajectory of our lives and feel like a victim of the fates or our past choices. But the truth is that we do have a choice, even if it is only a change in our attitude. But when we make a new start, make different decisions, it’s amazing how much our life can change in a short amount of time.

A few years back, one of my sons had just finished his second year at junior college. He had a specific goal in mind—to be accepted into a specific college to complete his bachelor’s degree. He had worked very hard, took all of the course requirements and earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. But it wasn’t enough. He came home that summer very disheartened. He had been accepted at a much less prestigious college and reluctantly believed he would have to accept the inferior alternative. After attending the orientation he came home more dejected. Because of the large student population and budget cuts, getting registered into the required classes would be difficult. He was advised that after finishing two years of college it would take another four years for him to complete his degree.

We had some discussion about what his next move should be. The decision was made that he should return to the JC for another year and apply to his preferred college again the next year. Even summer break was looking pretty bleak for him as the economy was in the tank and summer jobs were difficult to find. He called a friend who owned a company in his proposed career field and asked about an internship. All they could offer him was an unpaid position for six weeks. Having nothing better to do, he took it. At the end of six weeks, they asked him to stay on and he worked for them as a paid intern until he graduated.

This time my son hedged his bets and applied to more colleges. He requested a tag to a state university, meaning he was guaranteed a spot if he kept up his grades. He applied to his preferred university and then to the top university in his field. Not just top in the U.S., but top in the world. Once again, his application was denied at his preferred university but he was accepted at the top university. I remember my response of disbelief when he called to tell me. It hardly seemed possible. We figured the deciding factor was the internship which many would have passed on because it was unpaid. Within the space of a year, he had gone from a defeated individual to feeling on top of the world, the future bright with promise.

Two years ago I began my journey to become a writer. Through the process, I have met so many wonderful people and have found a career I really love. I am lucky to be a part of the Paper Lantern Writers collaborative working with people who have my same interests and goals. So much can change when we step out in faith.

In my work in progress, Roses & Rebels, my protagonist feels like he has no choice with respect to the woman he marries and is quite bitter. But when he takes the time to get to know his new bride and they set aside their misconceptions about one another, their marriage turns into a love story for the ages. A love story so powerful that I am inspired every day to keep writing and introduce their story to the world.