When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on.
~ Thomas Jefferson
It’s been a hard week and I’m hanging on for dear life to the knot in my rope.
So in tribute to my burning hands (from holding on, obviously) - I thought it a wise move for some positive self-talk. Sure, quotations go a long way but my dark cloud might need something more substantial like a fable in order to lighten up.
I wonder whether you are familiar with the fable by James Thurber about a young Moth and a Star. If not, here follows a short synopsis.
We’ll call the moth, Moth. And you’ll soon realise just why this seemingly ordinary moth should be referred to as such. In my humble opinion it should be MOTH but then again that might be seen as partisan.
Anyhoo, back to Moth. Moth was young and he had a plan which involved a luminous star. Moth was so bewitched that instead of chasing candle flames or street lamps (like the other moths) at night, you could find him at the edge of a forest making the one serious attempt after another at reaching his star. By the time dawn announced a new day Moth would be exhausted but strangely content. And so the days passed and the weeks of course.
The candle flame or street lamp chasers mostly ended up in cinders or were badly scorched but our little trooper had no injuries as his “light” nourished him rather than destroyed him. I’m sure you can tell how this tale ends. Moth never actually made it to his Star but he did end up leading a far more compelling life compared to the moth crowd.
…and if I’m not mistaken dementia (or fatigue) kicked in at some stage and he truly believed he made it to his Star.
Of course in my ideal world Mr. Thurber would end his fable with Moth realising it was more about the journey than actually reaching his Star.
And for the Record. Why moth is MOTH in my mind.
MOTH had vision and a clearly defined goal he pursued single-mindedly.
Also, the quest for his Star nourished him to such an extent that he persisted with boundless energy.
Who knows, there might have been other moths watching his attempts at night and learning. Learning to dare and learning to dream.
Deep breath. I’m already better.
Much better.
Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible and achieves the impossible.
~ Anonymous
