It takes strong feet to step over jagged stones,1
It takes tough skin to survive the merciless sun,2
It takes keen eyes to seek the road ahead,3
It takes a soft heart to recognize beauty.4
There is a path – cruel, cold, treacherous, warm, verdant, fascinating and mysterious. 5
This path is life.6
The path of life can be dusty, rocky and dirty at times. It may disappear for a while, leaving you helpless and alone. At other times it may be wide, clearly visible and bordered by beautiful flowers.7
This path, like any other, has its ups and downs. It can lead you through treacherous blizzards and vast, blistering deserts, making you wonder whether you will ever find your way out again. It can ascend mountains so high, their peaks are lost in the brilliant dome of blue sky above, yet stun you with the view when you reach the top. Through verdant fields, greener than a spring sapling and dotted with wild flowers it may lead, across laughing brooks and through forests that breathe of freshly fallen showers. It could lead past cities and towns with twinkling lights, inviting you into their cosy shelter or through caves home to fearsome creatures, lying in slumber, ready to catch you unawares.8
When it seems too difficult to carry on and when your muscles are screaming in protest as you set up over an immeasurably high mountain be reminded that oaks grow strong in heavy winds and diamonds are made under pressure. You are building up your muscles for the next mountain. 9
There will be times when the ominous weather matches your mood and threatens to overwhelm you and other times when not even the darkest rain cloud could dampen your spirits. A change of heart is common in your journey along the path. Indeed, you will experience more than one. Thunderstorms may leave you feeling miserable and cold to the bone making you wonder whether, perhaps, there is an easier way out. While seeing the sky splashed with colour from the setting sun may fill you will exhilaration and pride for the beautiful world around you.10
The path of life may seem simple and very much the same as other paths, but with one very big difference. It offers no help. There is no map, no route-markers and no sign posts. You are left to your own devices. Allow your heart to carry you, let your feet find their own way and use your eyes to look at the beauty around you. Notice the petals of the flowers in that field of brilliant green. Feel the cool night air on your face and the light touch of snowflakes as they litter the ground around you. One day you will look back on the path you have traveled and the memories you took with you, make sure they are worth remembering. 11
The path is what we make it. He who is cheerful and he who is melancholy have the same view, but very different is the way in which they see it. Walk your path with a smile, you need only to look around to find reason for it. 12
While you travel, make sure to live in the present landscape. Wonder not about what is yet to come or those sights you have passed. Seize the opportunity to learn all you can from your current position. The wise do not look backwards, pondering that which you have passed, nor do they contemplate what might wait for them over the next hill. 13
When you reach the end of your path, will you look at the scars on your body with disgust? Scars gained from burning your feet in the desert, from cutting your hands on rocks, from staying in that city. Or will you examine them with interest, remembering how it took all your strength and cunning to escape with only a few scars and smile. Smile with satisfaction that you have no scar twice, that you have learnt. 14
Indeed, at the end, may you look at your scars and not only remember the pain and suffering, but the beauty that came with it, for there is beauty in every moment no matter how terrible it may seem. May you remember what the world looked like from above when you stood atop that immeasurably high mountain. May you remember the glint of the dragon’s scales in the dim light as it taunted you in its lair. May you remember how beautiful the landscape looked when it was covered in snow even though you were struggling through it. These are the memories that matter.15
Finally the time will come when there will be no more mountains ahead of you, no more flowers and no more dragons. The time for your path to end. Forests and fields will fade and ahead will be only darkness. A darkness that sets fear into each and every heart that sees it, yet so often we forget that there is more to the darkness than it seems.16
Tears may come, but why cry? You have memories richer and more colourful than oil paintings. You have seen sights more beautiful than a thousand sunsets. 17
And while you need strong feet, tough skin, keen eyes and a soft heart to stay on the path, it takes a brave man to walk and keep walking.18
After all, death is a path in itself.19
Author notes
* CONTEST NOTES *
Fill my soul with the spirit of life
*MORE NOTES*
Option 3
Favourite flower: iris
A contest entry
- Second first contest! Happy time! by Fish food.
300 points, ended June 9, 9 entries
Honorable winner
• next story in this contest, remove from contest - Get me thinking... by Adelaide Blood.
275 points, ended July 6, 32 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next story in this contest, remove from contest - Give me your best work! by Shadowed Phoenix.
750 points, ended August 7, 41 entries
• next story in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 25 of 25
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We cry because we need the tears to make our journey seem more sweet.
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You need the information I asked for in your A/N before this story can be considered for judgement.
While I must say that this is wonderfully writen it lacks the needed draw that I look for in a peice of writing. While I did not read the whole thing for lack of interest it seemed like a 'life is hard but keep moving because it may get better' peice that was dragged out for 800 words. The grammar and spelling was nearly top notch but the story itself was lacking. Sorry, just not my kind of thing. Thanks for entering anyway. -
wow... that was awesome! a wonderful piece with a wonderful message that sticks with you as you i live your daily life. I surely will have this on my mind, and therefore objective achieved! thank you for the entry for I really enjoyed this piece!
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I loved this peice... just amazing. you have lots of talent ya know. I loved the way you described life and how you just have to look around and notice the great parts of your life! Just awesomeness!!
great job! -
I hate to be a curmudgeon about this really beautilful piece of writing, but there is a complete lack of strength and purpose, like a belief that doesn't stir us to action. Don't get me wrong, it represents an innocent naivity, and that has its own value, but it states the blindingly obvious in very grandiloquent style.
Might I make a suggestion? Ask yourself the question, how many mountains, physical or metaphorical, have I climbed, blizzards, deserts, storms, how many of these have I actually experienced whilst unprepared for them. When you can answer in largish numbers, re-write the piece, or re-visit it, and see what you would change. -
Hmmm....
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That was just wow. It was an uplifting, spiritual write that showed life is always good, you just have to realise it and look upon it as that way. Spectacular job!
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Verdant is one of my favourite words... I really like the way you write this and manage to maintain such an intense level of positivity. Occasionally I wake up thinking what's the point, but when I read pieces such as this I realise why. The beginning in particular in striking and seems quite poetic in its descriptive detail and the repetition only serves to reinforce. Nice write, and thanks for sharing, I need to read more like this sometimes. Cheers!
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I liked it a lot. i think the ending was the best part.
"after all, death is a path in itself" loved that
overall, good stuff!
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Great! It was awesome how you showed the way that we can choose from whether a positive or negative point to view from. Somehow, your story reminds me of I Hope You Dance by Anne Womack, which is a really nice song. Your writings made me think more about life after I read it, and I think you did a really good job!
Well done, and thanks for entering the contest!
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This was really good. It was thoughtful and imaginative with excellent descriptions. You're a very talented writer with a very unique story. I really liked this. Good job!
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Thanks for entering. Very good and thought provoking. Vivid in feel. Best of luck in the contest.
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This was beautiful! Just wow!
The words, the descriptions, the message... it's all great! Very very good!
Thank you *very* much for entering my contest and letting me read this! This was awesome!
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Sweet~! I adored this, and you definitely put so much thought and feeling into it. Great job. The only thing I disagree with is I think there are road signs and markers in life. For me, it is my faith in God and his word that tells me which way to go. It is different for everyone though. Great job and good luck
-Bri -
Flipping amazing!
I've commented before, but feel obliged to applaud and comment once again. Thanks for sharing this beautiful piece.
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life is really never what we make it certain ideas yes but in general society rules us in many ways...hmmm
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I have heard this theory before and I agree... in part. Life is not always what we make it. I mean, we can't choose what gender we are (sex changes not counting), we can't always choose what state we live in or what city - least of all while we're minors. Life chooses a lot of things for us. But the quality of life is based upon our reactions to it.
90% of life is how we react to the world, the other 10% is how the world reacts to us. One of my professors told me that.
Anyway, it's a great write. I like it. Thanks for entering the contest and good luck. -
that was awesome!!!!
but don't be sexist at the end it makes us girls feel left out, even though i am not sure wat u could replace it with..... but that was very touching. -
wow that was good! you had an extremely intriguing intro, and a strong end. you didnt really need all of that in the middle, but id give it a ten if i could. but out of questioning.... where is your moral? because you were supposed to put it in your author notes. well anyways, good luck and thanks for entering!
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Couldn't've read something better
Wow! Finally I read something I actually fall in love with! I'm so impressed by your beautiful use of words, imagery, and parallelism.
My favourite part: "Allow your heart to carry you, let your feet find their own way and use your eyes to look at the beauty around you. Notice the petals of the flowers in that field of brilliant green. Feel the cool night air on your face and the light touch of snowflakes as they litter the ground around you."
Keep writing; you're made for it!
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Very Good
I would think that, like me, many other readers of this piece would be nodding their heads as they read.
A philosophical piece of writing that in places, and this is just a personal observation, appears too long, but in others too short.
"Tears may come, but why cry?" Tears can be a relief for pent up emotion and not necessarily a bad thing.
"The path of life may seem simple and very much the same as other paths, but with one very big difference. It offers no help. There is no map, no route-markers and no sign posts." Now here, I tended to disagree. The start of the "path of life" may well be a path without a map, markers and other such aids, but this is made through childhood. The help would come from the guiding hand of adults. It is from these that other help comes: that of experience and memory.
However, that "said", I found this piece of writing extremely though provoking and most certainly stimulating. Thank you!
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Absolutely amazing.
The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end as I write this. You have written something which I would do well to bear in mind in the next couple of years. "You have seen sights more beautiful than a thousand sunsets." Profound writing, speaking to my soul again. Thank you. -
"When it seems too difficult to carry on ....as you set up over an immeasurably high mountain be reminded that oaks grow strong in heavy winds and diamonds are made under pressure. You are building up your muscles for the next mountain."
Can I quote you on my page??? No, seriously.
Beautiful last line. Great imagery of shadowy death.
This is amazing!Keep writing!
Tiger-Lily
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Wow, this was so beautiful. I loved how you symbolised life as a path; I had an idea to do the same thing with life as leaves, but after reading this beautiful thing I don't think I will anymore. O.o The descriptions and imagery in this was absolutely amazing, and I enjoyed every word of it. It's the kind of piece you read when your feeling sad and depressed, because it really can lift your spirits with its rich words. I loved this so much and I think you did such a fantastic job. Feel free to read anything of mine anytime. Fantastically penned this was.
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It is awesome! The best I have read since joining! There is nothing I can suggest for improving it because you have not left any space for improvement. It is already great! I feel really lucky that i have chosen this one to read today!!
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