My Path

We had been walking for so long. I never looked around to see anyone else’s path; I simply kept walking on my own. It was comforting, slow, steady, but mine. My path wound beneath huge trees adorned with beautiful birds, and bees and butterflies fluttered from one flower to another. I liked it. As I walked, I soaked in all the beauty. I was heading toward my destination, but I also loved the journey.

Then one day, I forgot the instructions.

I started looking at other people’s paths. Some were so far ahead. Had they reached their destination before me? Some were behind, but that didn’t bother me. Yet some had easier paths: neater, smoother, simpler.

Suddenly, I started suffocating.

The trees on my path didn’t feel like they gave enough oxygen anymore. The destination seemed too far. The birds and bees that once calmed me now sounded loud and overwhelming, giving me a headache.

I sat down and tightened my shoelaces. “I must run now,” I told myself. “I must outdo them.” I began running, running and running, until I was out of breath. I fell to the ground.

A little bird spoke to me. “Why do you assume your path is as long or as short as theirs? Why won’t you soak in your own beauty? Maybe your path will curve into a meadow more beautiful than you imagined. Maybe your destination will come later or earlier, but it will be everything you ever wanted. Why look at paths that aren’t yours?”

I exhaled and relaxed.

I sat down, cleaned the dust from my tired shoes, and slowly regained my energy. Then I stood up and began my stroll again at my own pace.