Reflections becoming Stories Becoming Lessons

One of the stories in a book of essay compilations.

I’ve been running for what seems like an eternity, and my well of energy is running dry from expending years upon years of life trying to keep up, and always with a path to the finish line obscured from my sight by uncovered distances and cloudy, noxious atmospheres.  The others have left me in the wake of their steps, having already moved on to life’s next stages.  

 

I’ve come to grips with the others being ahead of me and moving on. Knowing that I’ll never be able to catch them is a basic fact of my life now. But I keep on running on that interminably long road, still unsure of when I’ll get to my next stage. My journey is a lonely one, for it is distinctly my own.  My only companions are my labored breaths, the clicking sounds of cleats on pavement, the ever present fog, and harried thoughts. As always, I’m running beneath the heavy, dark, blanket. The puffy black clouds choke off the light from the moon and stars, leaving no room for any sliver of illumination. All I can do is continue running forward into the infinite darkness.  With no signpost to act as a marker or guide, I rely on my faith to guide my steps.

 

Running in the absence of someone who can understand my journey compounds the exhaustion, thus protracting the length of the race. At points my legs are drastically losing their power to churn, the lactic acids set all of my leg muscles aflame. And yet, I know that if I keep running, a heart that circulates blood nourished by perseverance and faith will keep my legs churning.

 

I know that the oppressive clouds will eventually break, allowing for the warmth and light to spill over the dark expanse, like spilled paint on paper. I’ll look toward the horizon, and I’ll see that the right people will be waiting for me at the finish, encouraging and propelling me forward. These people won’t leave until after I’ve finally fallen over the finish line and into their embraces. So with that faith coursing through and purifying my blood and lungs of the noxious fumes, I know that I’ll able to push through all of the hindrances in the present. So I’m going to keep on running.