A Bedtime Story

There once was a beautiful tree sprout that was as lush and green as you could ever see. This sapling was the center of life and beauty, which naturally attracted other things in nature so that soon a forest had grown up around the her. She attracted the freshest air, the brightest sun, and the richest soil. However, as the forest grew around her they all started to need more and more of the sun, and just a bit more soil, and ever increasing amounts of air. It didn't matter at first. For something so beautiful and pure there was never any hate or jealousy, but soon it became too much. The trees and animals around her were stunting her and taking the nutrients that she needed. Soon they were taking parts of her. But she grew. The wonderful part is she still grew. By some miracle she was able to become a full tree with leaves like flower petals and a trunk so thick and solid it was as unbreakable as the ground she stood rooted in.

She was able to grow high above the other trees, high in to the clouds. And there she stayed away from those who would hurt her below. She occasionally met other, smaller trees who adored her for her strength and beauty. For these she showered love like nutrients and they grew too. Never to her height, never to the place of beauty where she rested, but higher.

The only sad part of this story comes with the ending, for there is no ending. This tree will live on as special as she can be, but in her place amongst the clouds it is hard to see the future. It is hard to see others in the clouds. And her leaves will droop and her trunk will shudder with sadness occasionally, but the sun will continue to shine brightly on her and for that there is hope.

Chaos vs. Control

"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness" The Declaration of Independence guarantees me these rights as a United States citizen. I have the right to pursue happiness. This doesn't necessarily guarantee the actual achievement of being happy in my lifetime though. There should be small print added to the bottom that reads "may not produce desired results".

Life is like driving a winding road with blind turns. You can't see around the bends, so you can only follow the road one inch at a time. There are always improvements you can make on your car (what you go through life with), the driver (how you appear), and how you drive (your actions through life), but not much else can be changed/improved.

So considering all of this: my right to pursue happiness but no guarantee, my control of my life, which is extremely limited, and my desire to enjoy life as much as possible there really is only one course of action - live.

I shouldn't worry constantly about enjoying life or not....I should just do. Just because I'm alive doesn't mean I live. So to each day I say "come what may". I'm sure going to keep striving for that mythical balance between responsibility and flippancy, duty and fun, chaos and control. But now my life will be the journey of "me" instead of the "pursuit of happiness"....(no offense founding fathers.... :D)