This blog post is about a different form of travel…

A while back I got an e-mail in German about the comparison of one’s life with a train journey, and it is worth exploring it a bit. Life is seen as a train journey, with compartments and stops representing the different stages, seasons, and years in one’s life.

Along the journey with its unknown destination, people often get on and off. There could be accidents, short circuits, emergency brakes, etc. along the way. Some are smooth riders, some take the hard way.  At various stations in our life, some might want to get off to stay a while. Others are so saddened by loss or illness and are too weak to climb aboard again.

At birth we climb aboard the train for the first time and meet passengers of whom we believe to sit with forever throughout the whole ride: our parents. But they will probably get off sooner than we like. At some point along our journey – sometimes suddenly, sometimes with advance warning – our father or mother leave us behind and we miss their love and compassion, friendship, and company.

My mother got off first after a long train ride, of which the past twenty stops had been rather unpleasant for her and she often talked about getting off soon, so I was somewhat prepared for her departure. My father, on the other hand, let me only know at the stop before last, that he was getting off. I felt there was not enough time and I missed him terribly.

But there are also new passengers getting on the train. Many dear ones climb on board, among them our siblings, friends, and other wonderfully loving people. Some of them see this journey as a little walk through sunshine, others only find darkness along the way. Some might sit quietly in your compartment, supporting the needy ones along the way. Some are demanding and keep you on your toes.

Three of my siblings were already on the train when I got on, one more sibling followed me. We are all still on the train, except for one sister who sits in a different compartment now… Many friends have come and gone as my train passed through many different countries, some friends were on their way home, others were just exploring the various compartments. A very few have already gotten off for good, too soon.

Some get off and leave you longing for their company, while others get on and off and we hardly notice their absence. A loved one might walk out suddenly, moving to a different and more promising compartment and we end up traveling with sadness for a while, staring out the window. Other times, we might go looking for them, searching in every compartment. We might find the person we are looking for, but with another companion on the side, our former seat reservation no longer valid.

I had spent a good part of my train ride with a new passenger. But when things turned cold in our compartment and ventilation got too drafty, I was actually glad when he got off after about seven stops. I never even waved good bye.

Let’s try to make it a pleasant journey for all of our companions. Between each stop, we might struggle, look for compassion and need some support. Let us help each other along the way, because the great mystery of this journey is not knowing when it is time for us and our loved ones to get off.

Right now it is hard to imagine the train ride end. So far I have enjoyed a very pleasant ride: I have passed beautiful meadows, bathed in sunshine and endured a bit of darkness, but also experienced loving companionship and met many kind passengers.

When it is time for me to get off before my loved ones, it will be the saddest thing to leave them behind. But I hope to see everybody again at the central station, carrying luggage of love. If I contributed to a loved one’s heavy suitcase filled with love getting off the train, then I know my ride was a success.

At times I might worry about the future of my children – whether they are leaning too far out the window or just wander off getting lost on the train, struggling to find their way back to their compartment.

Let’s have a safe and loving journey. And when we do have to get off, then we should leave behind an empty seat with wonderful memories for the remaining passengers. To the ones, who share this train ride with me, stop by my compartment any time.

Facebook is a great way to reconnect with some friends you lost along the way. I have located a few of them, but we are not sitting in the same compartment anymore due to far away locations. But occasionally, I see them waving on the platform. It is nice to know they are still around.

Tags: Life's a train journey

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at 1:06 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.