One day, his parents beckoned him to go outside and see the world, for they believed they had done all they could to keep him protected. He was taught to be an obedient child, so he did what was commanded and walked out the front door to a vast forest filled with life and pleasantness. The boy, never having seen so much life before, immediately went out and began smelling the flowers, swimming in the river, sprinting on the plains of grass, and exploring whatever caught his eye whilst moving farther away from his home. Gradually, the time of day soon began to pass, and the beginning of the night began to close in.
The boy, noticing this, shrank back in fear, for the great light in the sky was beginning to fade away! He quickly searched for and found the outline of a tall tree, climbed up it with difficulty since his vision perceived only beyond the reach of his hand, and once he got to the top, he sat with both his feet dangling from the branch and began to cry.
When his tear-stained cheeks and dried eyes were all that remained of his bitter sadness for no longer having the light with him, he looked up, an action he had been taught to do from his parents when he ever confronted a problem, and was amazed to see small specks of what seemed to be white glitter in the black sky. Rubbing his eyes to make sure his tears were not obscuring his focus, he looked at them again, this time with the confirmation that the light was indeed still with him. Grant it the specks could not let him see as good as the great light in the sky could, but their presence did comfort him to the point where he felt peace and warmth again. After looking with his eyes at these bright dots for hours, he propped his head against the thinned trunk which extended some 30 feet from the ground, put one leg on each side of the branch he sat upon, and fell asleep.
He awoke to what felt like a warm, damp rag gently placed on the left side of his face and leg, and the sound of birds and insects filling the air. His eyes popped open, and what he saw was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen: the sun was beginning to rise above the misty top of dew-soaked trees and grass, and with it the darkness that had seemed impenetrable was floating away.
The boy climbed down, retraced his steps back to his home, hugged both his father and his mother, and told them of his knowledge that the light had never left him, but had kept him safe from feeling alone, unwanted, and left to feel pain and sorrow by himself.
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Some of us are leaving our home this year, or are almost on the same path. We've been shown love and truth all our lives, something the world will not give to us. But we need not fear, for the end of this day will only ensure a brighter morning tomorrow. If we find the darkness to be too heavy, all we must do is look up and remember that the light is always with us.
Our life has begun anew. Let us give thanks for having been able to reach it this far in the loving hands of the brightest light on earth, that being our lord, our savior, and our brother, Jesus Christ.
-From the Managing Editor of Digital Journalism
http://pub.lucidpress.com/
