"Come, sit next to me," she said in her soothing voice. She was rocking on her favorite wooden chair, waiting for her new favorite drink, tea. "I want to show you something," she continued persistently. "Here I come grandma, the tea will be ready soon."
"What's so urgent?" "Time." All right, if you say so."
Ana sat next to her life teacher and mentor. She had no parents, only her grandmother, from whom she learned a lot. She was guided by her advice and followed the directions, knowing that her grandmother knew the way, because she had gone through it.
Grandma opened a large bound book, blew the dust off it, and began.
"This is my dream book, Ana," she said. "Sorry?", Ana asked, amazed.
"I don't understand..." she continued. "Here I wrote down all my dreams and wishes, many have a picture next to the text, but few of them have a realization..." she continued.
"We'll start with this picture on the first page." "Who is that?" Ana asked. "That's a boy I was in love with, madly, before I met your grandfather." "What happened, why didn't you stay together?" Ana continued. " Back then he wanted to leave this country, and I wasn't ready to follow him. That's why I gave up on us. I still wonder if I should have, and I will ask myself, even when I leave this world because I have never stopped thinking about him. Maybe it would have been the wrong decision, but if I had tried at least I would have found out. This is all I can do now, to keep wondering," she said with melancholic voice.
Ana looked at her sadly, and grandma continued.
She turned the next page. "There are many pages dedicated to this desire. I loved painting so much... Here I pasted some of my pieces that I created when emotions were so strong that could not stay within the body. They had to come to the surface and the best way to express them is creation.
Some of the most beautiful art pieces were created from the strongest emotions, even more from the painful ones. You would be surprised what kind of artist is pain, excellent creator. There are more of these pictures, I keep them in a special box, and the key will give to you. I have never shown them to anyone, and I have always fantasized about the exhibition. And what else I could have created, only my head and heart know, that still suffer from that deficiency."
Ana looked even sadder and continued without asking anything. "What's on the next page, grandma?"
"I have always believed that travelling is the best education a person can have in life," she continued. It opens up horizons, broadens perception, breaks down norms, creates references and brings a wealth of memories that we are always happy to return to. I just didn't have time to visit many destinations. Something always came first, I was looking for an excuse in money, and actually I didn't have the travelling as a priority, but some other things that didn't really make me that happy, but met society's criteria. Now I wish I had just a little more time to travel. At least one more year of life.
If I could see the lights of Paris one more time, throw a coin in the Di Trevi fountain, because there are still a handful list of desires, smell the coffee in Colombia, and see the magical colors of the cherry blossoms trees in Japan...
If I could get another chance, I would do many things differently.
I just need a little more time," she sighed.
"Given that I missed my opportunities, and due to my lack of courage succumbed to the fear of the unknown. I wish you, my dear Ana, to always rush towards your dreams bravely, and carefully listen to your inner being, because the only parameter for a decision, should be a good feeling." She turned her head to the other side, grabbed her hand and before her last breath said:
"If it brings you joy and puts a smile to your face, the decision must be good. The path is often not the way we imagined it, but even better, if we have the courage to let our soul paint it with the most beautiful colors. Listen carefully to your inner being, and trust it. It will continue to guide you, now that I'm gone."
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