Life is peaceful if you accept it the way it comes,

if you stop trying to control it.

Sometimes, you don’t understand it;

and that’s ok.

Sometimes, you feel defeated;

and that’s normal.

Life was never meant to be a clear, predictable path;

and that’s the beauty of it.

The unpredictable beauties, mysteries, pain, surprises, challenges, experiences, people, nature.

Everything that makes your path unique in the vast land of life.

It was such a sunny day—a perfect day to go to the beach or the river, but instead, I was here. It was dusty, dirty, and smelled horrible. I had so much work to do. As I sat down and looked around, I noticed a mouse coming out of the floor. I asked myself, Why the hell am I doing this? I could be relaxing with my husband on the beach, soaking up the sun.

But then, when I’ve done all my effort and a little Algerian girl came up to me, crying because she felt my art. In that moment, I knew why I was doing this.

I had a bird that was truly beautiful. With a small, cute face, blue and green wings, and a long yellow tail tip, he was my favorite. I named him Joseph. Every morning, he would come to my door and sing to me. I would respond by whistling, and he seemed to enjoy it because he always chirped back. Sometimes, his singing was intense, filled with loud melodies and energetic body movements. At times, I sensed he was upset with me, while other times, he appeared happy to see me. Regardless, he was always there, and I cherished him dearly.

One day, I had to leave for a trip that would last three weeks. The thought of leaving my bird behind saddened me. What if he didn’t return when I did? I was so attached to him that if I could, I would have taken him with me.

Upon returning from my trip, I eagerly checked for him the next morning, but Joseph was nowhere to be found. I whistled and called out to him, but received no response. Even the tree branch where he used to perch was empty. Disheartened, I returned home and resumed my daily routine. In the days that followed, I continued to wait for him, but he never returned.

Though I may never see him again, he will always remain a part of my story. He wasn’t just my bird; he was a bird that touched my soul. He will forever reside in my heart, and we will both continue on our paths, perhaps crossing each other’s once more someday.

Liam starts walking comfortably and happily, but soon he faces a wall. The wall blocks his path, and when he turns his head to the bottom right, he sees small golden rocks. Amazed by their beauty, he examines them closely. Then, he looks at the wall, takes two steps back, and throws one of the rocks at it. Surprisingly, the small rock makes a huge impact on the wall, but as soon as it strikes, it turns to dust.

He touches the dust on the floor, feeling the impact it created, and is both confused and impressed. Eagerly, he rushes to gather more rocks. He throws a second one; however, this one barely leaves a mark. Confused, he looks back at the wall. Taking another rock, he changes his posture, taking more time and care than before. This one makes an impact, but not as significant as the first.

Undeterred, he throws another rock, then another, and another. Each time, they only leave small marks. Eventually, he runs out of rocks, feeling disappointed and tired. He sits on the floor, sadness washing over him as he stares at the ground in despair. Suddenly, he hears a bird. It’s distant, but he can still hear its song. He looks up and sees the bird flying around before it lands on a nearby rock.

Curious, he begins to walk toward it, but as he nears, the bird flies away. A little disappointed, he looks down and notices the rock the bird had been perched on. Immediately, he starts digging around it, managing to lift it despite its weight. He brings the rock in front of the wall, takes hold of it with both hands, and places it between his legs.

With determination, he begins to move up and down to create momentum and then throws it with all his energy. The impact is massive, and he is impressed, proud, and happy. All the little rocks now seem useless compared to this one. He sees that the impact created a small hole, allowing him to glimpse what lies behind the wall.

Walking slowly, he lowers his eye to the level of the hole. He peers through but can only make out a blurry view. The dust and the light make it hard to see clearly. Motivated, he looks down and starts searching for other similar rocks everywhere. He returns to where he found the first one, but all he sees is the mark left by it. He can’t find any more rocks. Remembering the bird, he grows tired and disappointed again, sitting down and staring at the ground until he eventually falls asleep.

When he wakes up, he brushes the dust from his face and finds himself still facing the wall. Anger bubbles up as he looks at it, and in frustration, he starts punching the wall, but only hurts himself. Tears stream down his face as he turns his back to the wall and sinks to the floor in despair.

Then he hears the bird again—it’s the same one, and now he notices him clearly. His blue and yellow feathers glisten as he sings. Turning back to the wall, he notices something he hadn’t seen before: a crack. His earlier impact had created a crack! Intrigued, he steps closer, examining the crack and the wall. After a moment of contemplation, he raises his leg and kicks the wall.

Half of the wall crumbles away, and blinding light floods in as he steps onto the rocks and begins to walk forward.

He started walking, looking around, slowly drifting away from the other people. Then, he began to see his own path. When it became clear, he felt a surge of happiness. It was as though everything made sense. But the path ahead was blurry and distant. So, he picked up his pace, leaving the crowd behind, and eventually started running. He was alone now, running with purpose. Boredom set in, but he pressed on.

Then came the first cloud. It was daunting, but with determination, he pushed through. Inside, it was dark and cold, but he kept going. Suddenly, the cloud disappeared, revealing a beautiful, sunlit world. He felt the warmth of the sun on his face, heard birds singing, and saw mountains in the distance. It was breathtaking. For a moment, he reveled in the beauty around him.

But then, a noise interrupted his peace. Something was being thrown at him. At first, nothing hit him, but soon enough, debris began to strike his face. It felt like an attempt to blind him, to slow him down. Yet, he kept going, even as the dirt accumulated on his body. He refused to be deterred.

Just as that storm passed, another, larger cloud appeared. It was even more terrifying than the first. He looked up at its towering form, fear creeping in, but he moved forward. The darkness consumed him, and glass began falling from above. It hurt, cutting his hands and face, but he protected his eyes and kept moving. Blood trickled down, but then, the rain came—not water, but golden rain that healed him. It washed away the pain, and everything around him turned green, vibrant with life.

The sun returned, and the path ahead was clear once more. He ran faster, feeling a renewed energy. Animals appeared on either side, their playful antics making him laugh. They were so innocent, so full of life. He loved them. As he ran through this beautiful garden, surrounded by flowers, rivers, and birds, he forgot all about the storms that had tried to stop him. He lived fully in the moment, appreciating how everything had been worth it.

The path ahead was now clear, and birds flew alongside him, making him laugh. He loved their company. He kept going, until he reached a towering mountain. It loomed before him, dark and foreboding, but after everything he had faced, fear was no longer part of him. So, seeing it, he ran even faster, ready for whatever was next.

Life life life life.

What do you want from me?

Can’t you let me know?

Oh you are playing tricks, I see.

Why can’t you make everything clear once for all?

What is my destiny?

Sometimes I feel it,

Sometimes I don’t,

Sometimes I believe,

Sometimes I lose hope.

Somehow I always feel that I should have more,

And other times, I feel that I don’t deserve what I have.

Ironically, I’m the one who’s never happy here.

So what do I want?

That’s exactly the problem.

It’s not about what I want.

It’s about what I have, today.

Money itself is powerless.

Money plus a higher goals are powerful.

Material is useless.

Experiences are heart-filling.

Memories are crumbles, from our life dinner.

All it does is remind us of how good it was but never feeds us.

I’m looking for freedom.