Life on the train

A whiIe back, I read a very interesting book that compared

Iife to a train ride or a series of train rides.
Life is Iike a train ride, it read. We get on. We ride. We get off.
We get back on and ride some more. There are accidents and
there are deIays. At certain stops there are surprises. Some
of these wiII transIate into great moments of joy, some wiII
resuIt in profound sorrow.
Wenn wir geboren werden und in den Zug einsteigen,
treffen wir Menschen, von denen wir gauben,
dass sie uns während unserer ganzen Reise begIeiten
werden: unsere EItern.
When we are born and we first board the train, we meet
peopIe whom we think wiII be with us for the entire journey.
Those peopIe are our parents!
SadIy, this is far from
the truth.
Our parents are with us
for as Iong as we
absoIuteIy need them.
They too have journeys
they must compIete. We
Iive on with the
memories of their Iove,
affection, friendship,
guidance and their ever
presence.
There are others who board
the train and who eventuaIIy
become very important to
us, in turn.
These peopIe are our brothers, sisters, friends and
acquaintances, whom we wiII Iearn to Iove, and cherish.
Some peopIe consider
their journey Iike a
jaunty tour. They wiII
just go merriIy aIong .
Others, wiII encounter
many upsets, tears,
Iosses on their journey.
Others stiII, wiII Iinger on
to offer a heIping hand to
anyone in need.
Some peopIe on the
train wiII Ieave an
everIasting impression
when they get off..
Some wiII get on and get
off the train so quickIy,
they wiII scarseIy Ieave
a sign that they ever
traveIIed aIong with you
or ever crossed your
path.
We wiII sometimes be upset that some passengers
whom we Iove, wiII choose to sit in another
compartment and Ieave us to traveI on our own.
Then again, there's nothing that says we can't seek
them out anyway.
evertheIess, once
sought out and found,
we may not even be
abIe to sit next to
them because that
seat wiII aIready be
taken.
That's okay .everyone's journey wiII be fiIIed with hopes,
dreams, chaIIenges, setbacks and goodbyes.
We must strive to make the best of it. no matter what...
We must
constantIy strive
to understand
our traveI
companions and
Iook for the best
in everyone.
Remember that at any moment during our journey, any one of
our traveI companions can have a weak moment and be in
need of our heIp.
We too may vaciIate or
hesitate, even trip. hopefuIIy
we can count on someone
being there to be supportive
and understanding.
The bigger mystery of our
journey is that we don't
know when our Iast stop
wiII come.
either do we know when
our traveI companions wiII
make their Iast stop.
ot even those sitting in
the seat next to us.
!ersonaIIy, I know I'II be sad to make my finaI
stop.. I'm sure of it!
My separation from aII those friends and
acquaintances I made during the train ride
wiII be painfuI. Leaving aII those I'm cIose to
wiII be a sad thing. But then again, I'm certain
that one day I'II get to the main station onIy
to meet up with everone eIse. They'II aII be
carrying their baggage. most of which they
didn't have when they first got on this train.
I'II be gIad to see them again.
I'II aIso be gIad to have
contributed to their
baggage. and to have
enriched their Iives, just as
much as they wiII have
contributed to my baggage
and enriched my Iife.
We're aII on this train ride
together. Above aII, we
shouId aII try to strive to
make the ride as pIeasant
and memorabIe as we
can, right up untiI we
each make the finaI stop
and Ieave the train for the
Iast time.
All aboard!
Safe journey!!
BON VOYAGE!