The Train

At birth we boarded the train and met 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, strangers and the love of your life.

However at some distant point, some random 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 realize they vacated their seats.

(*To me the train travelers who had the opportunity to interact and become a part of the others passengers’ lives but chose not to are the saddest passengers of all. They literally let life pass them by.)

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 and leave a memory behind.

The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So we must live each day in the best way…love, forgive, and offer continuously the best of who we are,  it is important for us to do this because when the times 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 a joyful journey for the coming years on your train of life. Reap success, give lots of love and be happy. More importantly, thank God for the journey!

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Wasn’t that metaphorical story beautiful? I loved it.

I have been so ‘out of it’ the past couple of weeks I haven’t read emails, very few texts or answered phone calls…it is like everything requires more strength than my body is willing to give. I keep trying to perk up and can do so for small increments of time…only to fall back in the recliner and curl up again. I will get over this but my poor immune system just isn’t working at full capacity so it is dragging out this annoying “inconvenience.” 🙂

One of my brightest moments, came last week, however, when my good friend and once teaching buddy at Alston, Lisa Register, called me out of the blue and told me that the time had come for her to follow her passion and dream…through her writings. She is so talented and her amazing story/journey has been waiting in the wings too long. Now Lisa is slowly freeing the story to take flight and tell the world how one long-ago incident, involving insurmountable tragedy, can now be used to guide others facing similar catastrophes to reaching that special place… the peace that surpasses all understanding.. 

The metaphor of  “The train” (Lisa shared with me) is just perfect for Lisa’s time and seat on her journey now.

*(There is still something so romantic about the beautiful old  European trains with the china and expensive glassware-gorgeous dining rooms…As a child I watched all the romantic black and white forties and fifties movies…longing to make such a journey on such an exquisite train…only to discover by the time I could… Amtrak had come along and sadly there is nothing very romantic about squeezing into tiny cubicles and standing up at snack bars with microwaves zapping our “food.”

Because Lisa is also a teacher (an amazing one) she is not only telling her story but creating guidelines to help fellow victims re-discover their spirituality throughout the long healing process paved by those who have come before.

I discovered The Train story because Lisa had dubbled in my name, along with other mentors throughout her train journey (life) and was thanking each of us for taking time to be there on the train for her when she needed it. (So sweet!)

After teaching together at Alston Middle for three years in the early nineties Lisa and I reconnected when she discovered my ChapelofHopeStories.com that first year I started it in 2010. It really was a God Wink that brought us back together again and is now reuniting us one more time. There are no coincidences so I know God has a plan for us both…being there for each other.

I had almost completed my second decade of teaching when Lisa started her teaching career at Alston. She was a bright ray of sunshine walking the long halls of Alston Middle…always with a smile on her face

So until tomorrow…A stranger looking at her picture today would think this young woman must not have a care in the world…how wrong they would be…this is the face of a person who has rediscovered herself and now is ready to help others do the same.

I will be talking more about Lisa as she continues her dream and passion telling her story…but today I just wanted to introduce you to this multi-talented teaching buddy of mine….like the passengers on the train we can all share compass directions… pointing each of us to our final destination.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh’

Lisa texted me last night and asked if I would add this comment to the post even before it is posted. Thank you Lisa…what beautiful words…what a way to start the day.

Becky Dingle,  I am so blessed God has been crossing our paths throughout our lives.  It’s hard to believe we met in 1993 Teaching at Alston middle school You – 8thgraders : me – 6thgraders…we lost track of each other for a few years… after I Started teaching in Mount Pleasant …then we reconnected on Facebook…in 2010… just when I needed you the most… after a childhood friend of mine passed away at age 41…God reconnected you and I… you had just started writing your blog —chapel of hope stories… it was the spiritual influence I needed to start getting my relationship with God back in order— your first story referenced the book “God winks” and I immediately went out and bought that book.  I have been intentionally working daily on improving my spiritual life ever since!  You have given me a wonderful gift that will last a lifetime—I Love you friend🙏🏻💕