Two travellers embarked on a journey together,
Bracing themselves for every kind of weather.
They were the best of friends,
But there was a huge difference,
In their attitude and outlook towards life.

One focused on the destination alone.
Life was a mission and end point was home.
He strove hard along the way.
Fretting and fuming everyday,
Overwhelmed and exhausted by the delay.
For his target always seemed so faraway.
He overlooked the flowers for the thorns.
Was blind to the lush meadows and grassy lawns.
When misfortune struck, it left him numb,
To anguish and melancholia, he would succumb.
He forgot to jump, play and laugh,
Or soak in the present, the poor chap;
Grew weary and disillusioned,
With his journey and his mission.
Oblivious to the beauty of nature,
Obsessed with the distant future.

His companion was a blithe and carefree fellow;
Wise, astute, calm and mellow.
He watched the sunrise and the sunset.
Pranced in the rains all drenched and wet,
Scaled summits and chased a butterfly,
Adventure was never in short supply.
And when adversity struck, he didn’t despair,
Endeavoured patiently and murmured a prayer.
Lived in the moment with a lazy eye on his goal,
And lo and behold!
His end point was well within his reach,
Amassed heaps of lessons, for others to teach.

Whose example would you like to emulate?
With which traveller do you better relate?
Wouldn’t you like to gambol and wander?
Like a leisurely stream to gurgle and meander?
To live life to the fullest,
To never fall short of spirited zest.
So tarry a while and take it slow,
No need to hurry, just go with the flow.
There is so much joy to be had today.
Tomorrow will be yet another day!