Moving on...

It was time for him to go. Ah! At last! He'd waited for this journey so long, dreamed of it often. Yet, it was so hard to embark upon it now. He'd gathered so much this half of life, and it was difficult to part with it all now...so suddenly, so soon. "What's with life and her ways! She brings you things you want the most when you can afford them the least!"

Sleepless night after another manifested his dilemma--he wanted his dream without forsaking his reality. He'd labored hard to obtain it all. He couldn't leave it all behind! He wasn't returning soon he knew, maybe never. So, he couldn't leave it all behind! He couldn't let go of what life had brought him! Not now, when he was so close to having it! He'd waited for it so long...longed for it!

He was ready to leave now, having employed all possible effort in preparation. Just before his first step towards his life's dream, his destination, a final peek into his baggage this once more, helped ensure he'd taken everything (tangible and otherwise...relations et al!) So, he began his journey, with a big smile that dwarfed his satisfaction.

Days passed by as he walked and rested, and rested and walked. Time flew ahead a little, and lo! He was at the base of the hill to climb. With renewed exhilaration in body, mind and spirit, he started uphill. The things he'd brought along suddenly ceased to be 'the burdens' that they'd begun to feel like, and the smile that had dwarfed his satisfaction, returned. 'These weren't burdens of his life. These were rewards he'd received (relations et al) for life's labour unlimited. He couldn't possibly go without them. No, he wouldn't!'

Time flew by a little, once more. The exhilaration all waned by now, he rested and walked and rested and walked as his baggage began to slow him down. 'He wouldn't leave it behind...the labour of his life!' "A few extra days wouldn't hurt for sure!" The climb became steeper and he was bogged down more and more. He'd rest and rest and walk, rest and rest and walk untill he couldn't go on...not with his baggage. 'If only he could leave some of it behind, kept safe somewhere, he could pick it up on his way back. It took days to pick what not to carry. Ensuring that he'd left it safe, he began onward. "Ah! maybe I should have kept some more of it safe there, with the other things! Maybe I'll leave them safe here, and pick them on my way back, lest they ruin, onward uphill with me."

He was faster now, lighter, with more of his collected baggage (relations et al), 'kept back safe until his return.' He walked and walked and rested and waned less as he moved on with more and more of the baggage 'kept safe.' "Ah! there's the summit! It shouldn't take long now...if it weren't for this bit of baggage! Well, let me come back for it, like I will, for the rest of the things."

He moved on and was soon at the summit. "Ah! Such beauty as can nowhere be! A reward more than all I left behind!" And, he moved on.