Blossom

I want to tell you a story that I know. It is a story many people have told me throughout my life, each of them telling it in their own way. At first I was drawn to the differences in individual variations, but it was within its core that I ultimately found real beauty. In my version the story is about a man, but in some others' it is about a woman.

This man was hungry to know the truth. His recollection would be that from the moment he was aware of himself, the only thing he craved for were answers. His thirst was so pure and deep, that he would look for them everywhere. For years he immersed himself in studying the knowledge of our world, in hope that the answers he was looking for were written in pages long forgotten. In his obsession he grew distant from the world, and felt that neither man nor animal could comfort his tragically frustrated existence. People sought his advice and exchanged money for his skills, and the man accumulated many riches. But the truth still eluded him; in all his knowledge he could not find any wisdom.

One night the man was lost in thought. The ocean of knowledge that flooded his head was in deep turmoil, and he was restless. Tired and unaware of his wanderings, he suddenly found himself standing in a room inside his mansion, of which he had no recollection. In the middle of that room there was a single mirror. Though bewildered by this weird experience, the knowledgable man noticed that the mirror in front of him was a very elaborate one; its area of reflection expanded from one edge to the other, and in the light of that room the mirror felt almost transparent. Reassured by the craftsmanship required to produce such labour of love, the man reflected himself in the frameless mirror...

Standing in front of him was a figure of the same size and shape as him, but he couldn't see himself in it. The man's heart ached with sorrow and tears of pity came to his eyes, blurring his vision. In that moment, all the boundaries of his world became blurred and he could no longer distinguish himself from the man in front of him. With clear eyes, he opened the window to breathe fresh air. He gazed at the stars and felt the cells in his body pulsating with energy. Filled with awe, he opened the door to his rear garden, where a round bed of lilies blossomed in a glorious pattern. He picked one of the flowers to admire its perfect beauty, and in his hand the dying flower sang: Thank you!

In that moment the man was wiser.

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-dedicated to bro, chrissy & william.