The Old Man Said

The day was young, the world was old,

And at the bank of a clear water lake,

Sat an old man with his grandson,

And he said to him -

“What people don’t know

Is that sometimes things become better on their own;

Sometimes flowers wither only for another plant to grow -

So, keep hope my child, always keep hope.

Feel what you feel -

Emotions are like waves,

And whether they are happy or sad,

You must ride every one of them till the end.

They lie when they say only the weak feel,

‘Cause there’s nothing braver than to feel;

Nothing makes you stronger

Than to let the experience of life fill you up from tip to toe.

Let every emotion you feel flow in your tears and laughter,

Let every feeling be encased in smiles passed and hugs shared -

Feel it all, my sweet boy, feel it all”

The boy replied with tears in his eyes,

“But what if it breaks me?

What if this world is too full of horrors for me to hold all I feel inside me -

What if it’s too much for me?

What will I do if the darkness swallows me whole?

What will I do if you aren’t here to hold my hand and guide me?”

The old man looked at this child,

And in his eyes he saw a light,

And he smiled 'cause in him he saw who he used to be;

In his anxiety and fear,

He saw the questions he once asked his own mother,

On another baleful day, much like this one.

So he kept his callused time-weathered hand on his grandson’s head,

Of soft hair and even softer innocence,

Silently said a prayer for his gentle heart, and said,

“Son, this world can break you and overwhelm you,

But I promise,

It can never stop you from picking up the pieces.

This world is horrible, but it’s also beautiful,

And as long as you keep finding beauty, and this world holds infinite beauty,

You’ll always be able to find some hope;

Hope that’ll help you go on.

And sometimes son, the world will feel dark and wrong and unmendably broken,

But you must hold on,

You must breathe and get through days that feel hopeless and heartbreaking;

And even if it takes time, even if the pain seems endless,

There’s always light at the end of the tunnel,

There’s always love to be found, felt and given -

And what is more beautiful than love?

And son, always remember, that I love you from the depth of my soul,

And even when I’m not here,

I’ll be here, in your heart I’ll be alive forever.

When you laugh, I’ll be a part of it,

When you cry, I’ll be with you in the tears you cry -

Love makes you infinite, and I’m infinitely here for you.

So take a deep breath my sweet son, feel it all,

Feel until there’s breath left in you, and then feel some more.”

The boy hugged his Grandpa,

smiling, with tears in his eyes.

And the world became a bit more beautiful,

With the beauty of their love.