How did you decide the career path you took?

Fate . My plan was to become a doctor ( Opthalmologist ) . That was a huge undertaking given what I came from, but with lots of hard work, a good essay, and good MCAT scores … I got in (to Med school). A month before I was to leave for school , mom collapsed . She had been hiding that she had heart failure and needed a transplant . Her docs told us she had possibly 2 years without a transplant . My adoptive parents were my world , so I was completely devastated . I called in and declined my placement in my Medical school class . Mom was livid but angrily I yelled in her face if she thought she had raised a daughter that would abandon her when she needed me most … she was mistaken . Daddy was relieved that I stayed although he felt guilty about that . To calm my mom down I consulted. With my counselor at my university and she got me in for the LSAT. I did well enough that with my situation and grades , I was accepted into law school with the promise that if I didn’t like it I could go to their medschool the next fall . I found I liked it. Mom lasted another 5 years . I was in school were I did my undergrad and it was the closest city to the farm. Her doctors in her were in town where I was , so she and daddy stayed with me a lot when she had appointments. I worked at the farm in the summers. I spent so much adult quality time with her and she had no doubt in her mind that she had raised a very loving daughter. I could see that she was glad I was there for her. Daddy too . I was hired after some interviews by a very accomplished woman and moved to the big city . I eventually met the love of my life and married him. My parents really liked him ! Mom
Passed a month before our wedding . That crushed me … but her letters and notes she wrote for me to read after she was gone gave me direction and advice on how I should conduct my self and live my life .