One of my soul sisters sent me the German version of this yesterday morning via messenger. As always, before I share anything on the blog, I check out the source and background and much to my delight, found two versions. The English original, which went viral a while ago, can be found all over Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, and every possible poetry and quotable quotes forum online. It doesn’t matter where you find it, or how the words found you. What matters most is that you read it with an open mind and soul, taking stock of all the passengers who have boarded your train. Are you still the conductor? Or have you allowed someone else to dictate the destination?
THE TRAIN OF LIFE
“At birth, we board the train and meet our parents,
and we believe they will always travel by our side.
As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of your life.
However, at some station our parents will step down from the train,
leaving us on this journey alone.
Others will step down over time and leave a permanent vacuum.
Some, however, will go so unnoticed
that we don’t realise they vacated their seats.
This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes, and farewells.
Success consists of having a good relationship with all passengers requiring that we give the best of ourselves.
The mystery to everyone is:
We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down.
So, we must live in the best way, love, forgive,
and offer the best of who we are.
It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.
I wish you all a joyful journey.”
Unknown
One blog suggests that the above lines are a watered-down version of the followin poem, although my theory is that is was more likely the other way around:
LIFE IS LIKE A TRAIN RIDE
The passengers on the train are seemingly going to the same destination as you, but based on their belief in you or their belief that the train will get them to their desired destination they will stay on the ride or they will get off somewhere during the trip.
People can and will get off at any stop.
Just know that where people get off is more of an reflection on them,
than it is on you.
There will be a few people in your life that will make the whole trip with you, who believe in you, accept that you are human and that mistakes will be made along the way, and that you will get to your desired destination –
together, no matter what.
Be very grateful of these people.
They are rare and when you find one, don’t let go of them – ever.
Be blessed for the ones who get on at the worst stops when no one is there.
Remember those people, they are special.
Always hold them dear to your heart.
Be very wary of people sneaking on at certain stops when things are going good and acting like they have been there for the whole ride.
For they will be the first to depart.
There will be ones who secretly try to get off the ride and
there will be those that very publicly will jump off.
Don’t pay any heed to the defectors.
Pay heed to the passengers that are still on the trip.
They are the important ones.
If someone tries to get back on the train –
don’t be angry or hold a grudge, let them.
Just see where they are around the next hard turn.
If they are buckled in – accept them.
If they are pulling the hand rail alarm again – then let them off the train freely and waste no space in your head for them again, ever.
There will be times that the train will be moving slow,
at almost a crawls pace.
Appreciate that you can take in the view.
There will be times where the train is going so fast that everything is a blur.
Enjoy the sense of speed in your life, as it is exhilarating but unsustainable.
There will also be the chance that the train derails.
If that does happen, it will hurt, a lot, for a long time.
But there will be people who will appear out of no where
who will get you back on track.
Those will be the people that will matter most in your life.
Love them forever.
For you can never repay these people.
The thing is, that even if you could repay them,
they wouldn’t accept it anyway.
Just pay it forward.
Eventually your train will get to its final stop and you will need to deboard.
At that time you will realize that life is about the journey AND the destination.
Know and have faith that at the end of your ride your train will have the right passengers on board and all the passengers that were on board at one time or another were there for a distinct purpose.
Enjoy the ride.
-John A. Passaro
FrogDiva Thoughts 