The end of the year always gets me thinking. These past few months I have learned so much, not only academically. I have learned so much about myself, relationships, friendships and life in general.
Only a few months ago my outlook on life was so different. I thought I had it all figured out. As I came to realize when you think you have it all figured out, things tend to change. Life has a way of testing you and frustrating you, but it's all to make you stronger. This realization was reinforced earlier today when I read this story:
Once upon a time in a village in ancient China there was an old man who lived alone with his son. They were very poor. They had just a small plot of land outside the village to grow rice and vegetables and a rude hut to live in. But they also had a good mare. It was the son’s pride and joy, and their only possession of value.
One day the mare ran away.
The old man’s friends came to him and commiserated. “What a wonderful mare that was!” they said. “What bad fortune that she ran off!”
“Who can tell?” the old man said.
Two weeks later the mare returned accompanied by a fine barbarian stallion. Friends and neighbors all came around and congratulated the old man. “Now you have your mare back, and that stallion is as fine as any in the land. What a stroke of good fortune!”
“Who can tell?” the old man said.
Two weeks later the son fell off the stallion while riding and broke his leg. Friends of the old man came to him to express their sympathy. “It’s too bad your son broke his leg, and right before the planting season, too. What bad luck!”
“Who can tell?” the old man said.
Two weeks later, war came to the land, and all able-bodied young men were drafted. The troop that contained the men from the village was at the front in a bloody engagement, and the entire troop was lost. All the men from the village died in battle.
The young man with the broken leg stayed home. His leg healed. He and his father bred many fine horses, and tended their fields.
I've come to see that everything really does happen for a reason. People come into your life for a reason and they leave for a reason. Not every relationship you have will be forever and sometimes when you think you were swept off your feet, it turns out you just tripped into a dustpan.
As far as friends go: friendships all have their rough patches. The trying times show the friends who are sincerely there for you, the friends that can't be, and the friends who are not really friends and choose not to be there for you.
In terms of learning about myself- I've come to see that adjusting your sails with the wind is the only way to stay afloat. While it's important to think ahead, it's also important to take one day at a time so you don't go crazy.
I have no regrets about these past few months. It takes mistakes to learn and it takes bad times to appreciate the good ones. In fact, maybe there aren't any bad times. Who can tell?
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