“Mom! I can’t breathe!” The smoke filled Bethany’s room as the fire swept through the house. She frantically looked around, knowing that she would only be able to save one item.
As her mom ran into the room and grabbed her hand, the box in the corner caught Bethany’s eye. Pulling away from her mom, Bethany ran over and lifted the box, wrapping her arms tightly around it.
“Bethany, we have to go now!” her mom yelled. Bethany quickly ran to her and together they made their way through the heavy smoke. Right as they stepped past the front door, the house began to collapse behind them.
Bethany stood with her mom, as they watched their home burn, leaving nothing but ashes in its place. As tears flowed down her cheeks, Bethany looked down at the box she was holding. It contained all of her most cherished keepsakes, each one linking back to a special memory. Although saddened by the loss of her home, she was relieved that her most important possession was safe, there in her arms.
Days passed by and Bethany continued to carry the box every where she went. She was terrified to put it down for even a moment. At first the box was light, but it seemed to get heavier with each passing day. One day, as her arms were shaking from the weight of the box, Bethany knew that she had to make a choice. She could either continue carrying the box with her and struggle along each day, or she could hide it in a safe place.
It was a difficult decision, but she knew what she had to do. Looking around her, she spotted a tall, beautiful oak tree off in the distance. It was away from the road and sat on the edge of a lush green field. “I can hide it there”, she thought. Bethany walked over to the tree, where she began to dig a large hole in the ground beside it.
Once the hole was large enough, she lifted up the box and placed it inside. Slowly, with one handful at a time, she covered it with the dirt until it could no longer be seen.
With tears streaming down her face she thought, “It should be safe here. Some day I will come back to get it, and hopefully it will still be here. There’s no certainty that it will be, but I just don’t have the strength to carry it any longer.”
Wiping away her tears, she stood to her feet and slowly walked away, leaving the box behind her.
I like the analogy of carrying around a box from the past. Great idea.
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Thanks, Sue. It seems fitting. The past can be a heavy weight.
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Sometimes you just have to bury the past and move on.
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Yes, sometimes you do.
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I love it! Great story!
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Thank you!
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Very well written. I really liked your analogy. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you, Cassie. Also, thank you so much for reading and commenting!
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I really enjoyed reading this! I think I have some digging to do!
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Thank you so much, April! Digging up old treasures. You never know what might still be there waiting.
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I need to bury some old memories I can no longer hold. š
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I read your comment as written from a different, but interesting angle. But, I see now. Long day, can you tell? š Carrying old memories can get very exhausting. Sometimes we have to let them go.
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I can imagine we do that with our ‘things’ and our worries. We wrap around them, hold on so tight we fatigue ourselves. This was beautiful. Thank you.
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Nice little story there. I wonder if she ever revisited the area years after and the tree was still there? or perhaps it had gone. I’d like to think it was still there.
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Thanks, Moi. As for the ending, your guess is as good as mine.
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