[Alffe]

Life is a journey.

There is a forest, dark and deep - the forest through which I've come. I thought it would be beautiful. I had heard stories that it was. People who'd been there talked of streams of laughter, meadows of peace, pools of nurture, and waterfalls of joy.

I found rivers of hatred, swamps of ridicule and abuse. I found brambles and snares of denial and hopelessness.

After many years, I escaped to a clearing. The gentle breeze pushed away the old things and cleansed me. I drank in the fragrance of hope and saw with new eyes the beauty around me. I held the distant rainbow in the palm of my hand, and strength soared through me.

But the respite didn't last long. I gathered up my possessions and began a new journey into the new forest.

The outer forest is lush and full of the things I've heard about and wanted. The people I meet are affectionate and joyous. But I fear the uncertainty of what lies ahead. Is this forest going to be the same as the other? Is this only another trap? A party before the funeral?

I look back and see a signpost I hadn't noticed before. Pointing to the way I've come, it says, "No longer an option." Pointing to the path I now take, it says, "Your life."

I hoist my knapsack and grip my walking stick. And I begin my journey once again.

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by Lisa Halls Johnson in the book "A Reason to Live" author Melody Beattie