The Journey of Life: Embracing Every Stop Along the Way
I was once told by a friend that life is like a train ride.
We get on, we ride, and we get off. We get back on and ride some more. There are accidents and there are delays. At certain stops there are surprises and some of these will translate into great moments of joy, some will result in profound sorrow. When we are born and we first board the train, we meet people whom we think will be with us for the entire journey. Those people are our parents.
There are others who board the train and who eventually become very important to us, in turn. These people are our brothers, sisters, friends and acquaintances, whom we will learn to love, and cherish. Everyone will encounter many upsets, tears, losses on their journey but some will linger on to offer a helping hand to anyone in need.
Some people will get on and get off my train so quickly, they will scarcely leave a sign that they ever travelled along with me or ever crossed my path. Some people on my train will leave an everlasting impression when they get off.
Everyone’s journey will be filled with hopes, dreams, challenges, setbacks and goodbyes. We must strive to make the best of it, no matter what. We must constantly strive to understand our travel companions and look for the best in everyone.
But the bigger mystery of our journey is that we don’t know when our last stop will come. Neither do we know when our travel companions will make their last stop.
Personally, I know I’ll be sad to make my final stop, my separation from all those friends and acquaintances I made during the train ride will be painful. But then again, I am certain that one day I’ll get to the main station only to meet up with everyone else. They’ll all be carrying their baggage, most of which they didn’t have when they first got on this train. I’ll be glad to see them again.
I’ll also be glad to have contributed to their baggage and to have enriched their lives, just as much as they will have contributed to my baggage and enriched my life.