Life is a Journey

Life is like a journey on a train. We board the train at birth. For the rest of our lives we ride the rails, with all its twists and turns.

People will come from all different parts to meet you. They'll bring gifts. Some of those people will make the entire journey with you. Others you'll never see again. That's okay.

You’ll meet your parents on that day. For a long time we believe they are perfect. They are not. Neither are we.

You may be born out of love. you may be born out of passion. Or, you may be born out of pure happenstance. Regardless, we are all riding the same set of rails, at some forty-five hundred heartbeats an hour.

Fortunately, our lives are not dictated by the terms of our conception. God wanted you on the train. God needed you in the land of hopes and dreams. It's the "why" that seems to trouble us.

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You’ll assume that your parents will always travel by your side. They will not. At times the train will stop abruptly. One of your parents may get off and disappear into the fog. You'll be lucky if you have a chance to say goodbye. They'll leave the memories. They'll leave the friendships. They'll leave everything they own. It'll be up to you to sort it all out; the good, the bad and the ugly.

As time goes by, other children will board the train. Early in your journey, some of them will look like you and share your name. This will happen again later in your life.

In the words of Johnny Cash, “there will be “rich folks eatin’ in a fancy dining car. They’re probably drinkin’ coffee and smoking big cigars.” But, they are not any happier or better than you. You're both riding on the same train to the same place, aren't you?

Oh, The Places You'll Go!

If you're lucky enough to get a window seat, you'll get to see the world fly by. The train racing through time. Each snapshot only there for us now, once. Trains and clocks do not ever go backwards. I wrote about the speed of life in a piece called How Did I Get Here?

As you zoom out, the long range view allows ample time to absorb the intricacies of the world in slow motion. Time to focus on every house, every church bell tower, every tree lined street. Each has a story to tell.

As you zoom in, time speeds up. Everything is a blur. Like watching a movie at 4x the normal speed. It's impossible to see anything clearly, until the train slows….or stops.

As the train slows and pulls into each station, your window on the world affords you the opportunity to see more clearly. Those who board the train from the worst stations will require the most help.

The lonely old man, the troubled addict who talks to himself, the single mother yearning for sleep, the awkward young boy tapping the back of your seat. Every single one, a story worth exploring.

Most of the time you can’t see where you are going. But, from time to time you'll have an opportunity to make decisions on the train's direction. When given the opportunity, always choose the track less traveled. The track covered in rust and teeming with overgrown weeds. It's about the journey, not the destination, after all.

As you journey onward, you'll meet lots of folks. You'll meet the love of your life. You'll meet your children. You'll meet your friends. Each will take their seat on the train and….

…some people will stay for the rest of your journey and leave an indelible mark on your soul. Some may step down over time and leave a permanent vacuum. Still others will make so little impact on you that you don't even realize they left. Let them. If only to make room for others on the train. Very few people will make the whole trip with you.

The trip is full of joy and sorrow, loves and losses, joyous introductions and painful goodbyes. Each memory a permanent image woven into the tapestry of our lives.

Some people and things just aren't meant for you, no matter how much you wish they were. It's simply okay for some things not to work out.

At times the journey will be all downhill. Then it's uphill. Eventually life is downhill again. But, in between the uphill and downhill it's full of long, boring, flat stretches of travel.

Breathe in through the uphill, hold on through the downhill. Relax and enjoy the flat stretches of the journey as they can be fleeting.

The train is constantly in motion, those big wheels churning forward. But, you must always be prepared to disembark at any moment.

You must learn to live, love and forgive. Offer everyone the best version of yourself. Seek to avoid danger and regret, where possible. At all costs, seek to leave behind beautiful memories and friendships, such that your empty seat leaves an indelible mark on others who will continue the journey. (For within 75 years or so, nobody left on this earth will have even known you.)

When the train bell tolls for thee and you reach the final station, you'll want to know that your life mattered. That you were significant in some way. That the world was somehow changed for you having been in it for a brief period of time.

Like the window on the world, your life can only be evaluated by zooming out. Up close is simply a blur; a moment in time during a very long journey. The long range view allows for appropriate time and perspective.

See life is about moments of kindness. Because even the smallest of gestures can have an enormous impact. I wrote about this in Can Saying Hello Save a Life?

In retrospect, it was you who changed the trajectory of people’s lives.

- You listened to the lonely, widowed man who shared sweet stories about his deceased wife. Your comfort brought him peace.

- You counseled the troubled addict when no one else would. Your kindness brought him sobriety. He learned to counsel other troubled souls and saved thousands of lives.

- You gently rocked the crying baby to sleep while the single mother napped. The rest brought her patience to teach her child to read. The child later became a Doctor.

- You befriended the young boy tapping the back of your seat-when he needed to feel special. He grew up and became a Pastor.

We will leave it all behind. These kindred spirits that were interwoven into the fabric of our lives.

And, you will learn in the end, that your greatest impact came from the smallest of gestures.  From enhancing, even in some small way, the journey of those around you.

And that, my friend, is the reason why you are here.

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