The Polar Express

A dear friend invited us to get together to have a DVD night and watch together the Polar Express. At the door he greeted us with a conductor's hat calling out: aaall aboard!.

Five of us watched the movie with delight. Each had received a non-transferable ticket, just like in the movie.

At the end, our friend came and “punched-out” our tickets. Inside of each ticket there was a personal secret word, -a message to each of us- We proceeded to share our secret word and what how it spoke to our realities. I must say that it was one of the most fascinating and intimate experiences I have had in a long time.

Each took a turn to talk about our fears, doubts and struggles and of course about our secret word: courage, endurance, trust, believe, and peace. We reminded each other of profound truths and listened care-fully where we stood in relation to the light of life Christmas bring to us. One by one, confirmed that friendship is the best gift we can ever get.

We talked about the journey, the many voices along the trip that are given to us to help and guide until we reach our destination. We acknowledged that our lives are not only about peace without strife, light without shadows, happiness without pain and tears, trust without doubt, courage without fear. Each of these are the two sides of our experiences and provide the necessary background for us to understand the meaning of living in the light.

The night was short. However, I felt as if I had been in a long journey with my precious friends. I sensed a special closeness and camaraderie with my friends, the kind soldiers feel after months of fighting shoulder to shoulder, or the athletes have after sharing hundreds of hours of training together.

We went home, but somehow I didn’t leave behind any of my friends. I brought them with me in my heart. I know we journey together to the same destination, having to think each one on the meaning we must discover in the secret words written in out tickets.


FC