The Labyrinth Tree

(I wrote this piece in high school after my religion class took a field trip to a labyrinth. It was basically just a path that wound around and around, forming a circle. White rocks outlined the path. In the center of the circle stood a majestic tree. We spent our field trip meditating and walking the labyrinth. You couldn't tell where you were going to end up next inside of that maze, but everyone finished at the center under the tree.)

The Labyrinth Tree, or Do Not Despair 

Baby, let me tell you something. Shh now, baby, stop your crying. Come here and let me tell you something. Never despair. You are in a labyrinth. You have been walking on a path your entire life, and in the center of that labyrinth is a golden tree. It’s your life purpose, it’s your dream, it’s your heart’s fulfillment. In the center stands a golden tree, and your whole life you have been walking on a path that will lead to that golden tree. 

You have previously come to a point in that path where you are right up next to that golden tree, and you can see your life purpose clearly. You are right next to your life purpose, so close to it that you can taste it and you can see it and you know for sure you will reach it, and you are filled with self-confidence that no one can take away. But you are in a labyrinth, and the path stretches on in front of you, and you must walk forward, you must take a step forward. 

But now the steps you take are leading you farther away from that tree. You are walking forward, but you are moving to the outer perimeters of the labyrinth. Presently you are in a place where you are so far away from that tree in the center that you cannot even distinguish it at all anymore. You have no idea what your life purpose is, you cannot ever hope to fulfill it, you are filled with self-loathing and doubt and you are so entirely lost. Your whole world has no object, it has no point, it has no center. You have no center in sight. 

But baby, it is times like these when you must be aware of the logic of labyrinths. You are always walking forward, never backward. You are always walking forward. There is nothing to do when you are on the outer perimeters of the labyrinth other than to walk forward, to take a step forward on the path. Look ahead in the distance. There it is again, there is a point in the path that is closer to the tree. Soon you will reach a point in the path that is closer to the tree, and you will be able to see your life purpose again, and you will be able to taste your glorious destiny. 

And maybe there is a point ahead of that where you will not be able to see the center again. And what of it? You are always walking forward. You are never utterly lost because you are always walking forward on a simple path. You cannot walk astray; even someone as seemingly lost as you cannot stray from the path of life while there is still breath in your lungs. 

Someday you will reach that tree. Someday you will reach that tree and climb it. You will look down upon your former wanderings and smile. Do not despair. Never despair.