Lately, I’ve been enjoying horse riding. It teaches you something quickly, you don’t control everything. You can’t control the terrain, the pace, or every sudden movement. But you do control the reins. Your balance, your direction, your response, that part is yours.

Life works the same way. You don’t choose your family; that is part of the terrain you learn to navigate.

But the people you choose, and those who choose you every single day.

Your friends, your circle, and especially the spouse you decided to commit your life to, those are your reins. If the journey keeps feeling unstable or draining, it’s worth asking whether it’s the terrain, or the people riding beside you.

Life will already test you through what you didn’t choose. There is no wisdom in making it harder through what you did.

Choose people who choose you, and hold your reins well.