One of my granddaughters and I were in a large park. We had to park the car quite a distance away from where we were going. I knew the way, but it was fun to imagine we had a little guide. It was a little bird that was slightly in front of us. As we’d walk toward it, it would fly a little way ahead, then seemed to wait for us to catch up. We kept our pace and would approach it but it would fly ahead again and wait. It happened again and again, and we were amused. But just as we ere growing accustomed to the rhythm of following the bird, it flew high into a tree.

It was obvious we needed to not follow it anymore. It reminded me: sometimes we are willing to follow someone for awhile, but there is a point at which we question the direction we’re being led. Being led is passive but following is active, and we are responsible for that choice. People change, and our paths change. Consider who you’d refer to as a role model a decade or two ago. Has it changed? In some cases, we shift because the person we’re following changes, and sometimes we do. Either way, it’s important to know if we’re being led or if we’re following and if, at any time, we need to shift toward or away.