Not every path is straight

Sometimes the wrong cart takes you exactly where you need to go

The store was quiet and time felt slow.
It was early afternoon. One of those days where the sun is shining and everything feels soft.
The fluorescent lights overhead made all the oranges shimmer like they were on display just for me.

I was pushing a cart through the produce aisle when I noticed something strange.
It kept pulling to the right.

At first, I thought maybe it wanted a closer look at the avocados.
But no, it had a mission.
This cart had a personality. A secret agenda.
Every few feet, I’d feel that subtle tug. Always to the right.

And honestly? At first, I was annoyed.
“Oh no. I got the messed up cart.”

But the longer I pushed it, the more curious I got.
I started smiling. Overcorrecting.
Trying not to run into displays or strangers reaching for bananas.
The cart wasn’t broken. It was just… stubborn. Determined.
Maybe even trying to show me something.

And somewhere between the apples and the spinach, it hit me,
this wasn’t just about the cart.

Because I’ve been that person.
Trying to go forward. Straightforward.
Clinging to the route I planned.
From school to job to house to spouse to steady income to life complete.

Life is that cart.
It pulls you toward the weird aisle. The unexpected path.
The odd turn. The inconvenient reroute.
The “what if we just…” moments.

I didn’t get into the school I wanted, I moved countries.
I swore off dating, met the man I married.
Wanted a stable job, ran a flea market instead.
Planned to move states, moved across the world.
Wanted our own place, ended up with in laws.

Every time I tightened my grip and tried to go straight, life turned right.
And yeah, sometimes it felt frustrating.
But it also led me to places I never would’ve chosen on my own.
Some beautiful. Some heartbreaking.
All of them mine.

It didn’t happen overnight.
I still try to steer more than I’d like to admit.
But I’m learning to loosen my grip.
To let the cart drift a little.
To smile when the wheels wobble.
To trust that even the detours are part of the story.

Now when I shop, I don’t look for that cart.
But when I get it, I smile.
Because I know the trip just got interesting.
It might take me past the flowers I wouldn’t have noticed.
Or the aisle where a toddler waves like we’re old friends.
Or the moment where I pause and remember that…

Sometimes, the life you wanted shows up
by turning right when you swore you’d only go straight.

It’s not about finding the perfect cart.
It’s about learning to go with it.