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There are days when you wake up and you feel refreshed, alive as if your body is already experiencing what is yet to come. You have a spring in your step, and everything around you seems to be whispering to you in gentle anticipation of your awaking. Jack's day started simple enough. He was hiking up a mountain in Alaska, his native home. He loved to hike. He loved it because of the beauty of the world that surrounded him, suffocated him, and filled him with intense joy. But the mountains are filled with bears. He knew about the bears and respected that this was their home, not his. He had never seen a bear in all the years that he had been hiking.
Today was his lucky day. A bear found him. Jack knew what to do if he ever saw a bear. He knew to just stay still, but he was so drenched with fear that he started running a way as fast as he could. He looked over his shoulder and saw the bear starting to run after him. He ran deep into the forest, trying to get away from the bear. Jack looked back again, and the bear had just about caught up with him. Suddenly, Jack collided with a tree. He fell backward and hit his head on the ground.
Everything went white as he felt himself slip away from his body. He found himself at the end of a rather long hallway lined with a pale white carpet. In front of him stood a figure in a long white robe standing on a platform. Jack felt love pouring from every corner of the room, or was it from himself? He could not tell where the love was coming from. Was it created by the figure on the platform? All Jack could do is walk forward. Jack could not seem to focus on the figure's face. Still, Jack walked forward, toward the figure. "Who are you?" Jack could not figure out if he had actually spoken the words out loud. But, the figure responded. "I am what some people call Allah, some call me God, some call me the creator, but what I like the best is when they call me joy."
"So you are who all this love is coming from." Jack stated.
Jack could feel the figure smiling, even though he still could not make out its face.
"Some of it. It comes from you, it comes from the earth, it comes from everything and everyone." The figure said.
"Did I hit my head that hard?" Jack asked fearing that this meeting could only mean that he had died from running into that tree- or worse, that the bear had indeed eaten him.
"You're not dead, Jack," the figure said.
"Well. why am I here?" Jack asked.
"I need you to do me a favor," the figure said.
Everything in the room started to get foggy.
"A favor? From me? What is it?" Jack asked.
"I need you to find someone for me. I have seen how people have lost touch with one another and with the Earth. But most importantly, they have lost touch with love and a oneness with the world in which they were created. I need you to find the person that will bring these things back. This person sees beauty in all things, thinks of others before themselves, and believes in miracles without a reason. The person you find will need to be flawless in each of these qualities. I trust you, Jack." the figure said.
Jack took all of these things in. He had a million questions but the room was filled with fog, Jack realized that he did not have a lot of time to ask them.
"What do I do when I find this person?" Jack asked, as it was the most logical question he could think of.
The figure responded, "Jack, I am sending you on a wonderful journey, you will learn how to ask the right questions and how to really listen to the answers. When you find this person, he or she will know what to do."
Jack tried to tell the figure
that he thought the journey was impossible. But the figure was suddenly, gone
and Jack was back in the forest, resting under the tree that he had run into.
He wondered if it had all been a dream. He reasoned that it had to be a dream,
what else could explain it?
Jack went back to his house. He told his family of the crazy dream he had had
after hitting his head. His family laughed. His mother said jokingly that she
would be the one that he is looking for. After all, she always thought of her
children before herself. Then his mother killed several roaches that were on
the floor. Jack smiled and responded that she could not be the one since she
just killed those roaches and that seeing the beauty in all things was also
a requirement.
Jack's sister then spoke up saying that she believed in miracles. She recounted the story of how she had almost drowned in the lake by their house and how Jack had saved her.
"If anyone is who your dream god figure is looking for, it's me." His sister said.
"But. you nearly drowning in that lake is the reason you believe in miracles, besides it was no miracle that I saved you, you're my sister." Jack said smiling. Even though Jack believed that the dream was not real, he could not shake the imprint that the dream left on him.
A few years went by, and Jack became very wealthy. He had started taking tourists on a hiking tour of the Alaskan Mountains. Still, he never forgot that day in the forest and the figure. In his mind, he found himself looking for the three qualities the figure had spoke about in the people around him. Jack decided that someone had to have these qualities. They were not extremely rare qualities. Everyone around him had some of these qualities, but no one had those qualities without flaw. After soul-searching for all those years, Jack decided that the figure was just a dream. Regardless of this, he had to know for himself if such a person existed. That day, Jack decided to search for the person with these qualities, but he should not limit his search to Alaska. He must travel all over the world. So, Jack gathered up all of his possessions and left.
Each part of the world was more beautiful than the next. After visiting several places, Jack realized it was very difficult to meet a lot of people in the short time he spent at each place. So he decided to offer a reward to anyone who had these three qualities. He put up posters all over the cities that he visited stating qualities of the person he was looking for and the reward. Many people came up to him and tried to convince him that they possessed these qualities. Jack believed a few of these people might be the one he was looking for. But over time Jack began to know what questions to ask and how to listen to the answers, just as the figure foretold. After meeting thousands of people, Jack realized that the person he was looking for would not believe that they possessed these qualities, much less desire a reward.
After traveling for eleven years, Jack returned to Alaska and the mountains that he loved so well. He decided that even though the figure was just a dream, he was lucky to have had that dream and to have felt that pure love that must have come from within.
Jack decided to return to the thing that he loved the most- hiking. He packed enough gear for several weeks of hiking. Jack had always wanted to hike through the Alaskan mountain range.
After a few weeks, Jack realized that he had not packed enough food to last him his entire journey. He kept hiking, but soon realized that the more he hiked the more energy he was loosing and the more hungry he became. A few days later, Jack was starving and could hardly move. He felt a tap on his shoulder and saw a man.
"What are you doing out here? Don't you know that there are dangerous things out here, like bears?" asked the man.
"Yeah, I came across a bear once." Jack said as he grinned.
"You look like you have been camped here for a while. Are you lost? Would you like to come back to my cabin? I will give you something to eat and then I can help you find your way back." The man asked.
"Please, sir, I have been stranded here for days without food." responded Jack.
Jack went with the man back to his cabin. Jack could hardly walk and relied on the man for much of his support. When they got there, the man took off his hat and coat, which revealed that the man was actually a woman.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were a woman!" Jack said, startled.
"Man, woman, what does it matter? We're all human." She said extending her hand.
"My name is Acadia."
"Jack" he said, as they shook hands.
Acadia went to get a glass of water for Jack and poured all the water that she had into Jack's glass. She then took the blanket off of her bed and gave it to Jack, along with the water.
Acadia's small cabin was built on the side of a hill with a view of three mountain ranges. Jack could easily tell that the view from this cabin would be beautiful in both the summer and the winter.
"This is the most spectacular view I have ever seen," Jack said, looking out the cabin's window.
"Thank you, I absolutely love it here. I am completely at peace here." Acadia said as she captured a large mosquito and took it outside to release it.
"How did you find this place?" Jack asked.
"I was lost once too, just like you. I lived in a house with my parents not far from here. One day I was trying to walk to the top of this mountain and I got tired and couldn't go up any more. So, I sat down right here and that's when I found this place." She responded, not sure if she should tell the rest of the story.
"But why did you pick this particular spot?" Jack asked. He knew there was always more to the story, his journey had taught him that.
"Well. I don't tell many people this, but this is the spot in which I became one with the world. I know it must sound crazy to you. The day I found this place, I was sitting here looking at the view and I just stopped moving, I stopped thinking about how tired I was. I just stopped. I started to notice how the trees sway in the wind and where their leaves touch the sky. I noticed that everything had a life and a purpose that I never cared to notice before. Then suddenly the world just burst forth, overwhelming me. I felt like I was part of the trees and the dirt and the sun. I felt like I was part of everything in existence and everything in existence was part of me. I felt love coming from everywhere, both to me and through me. That day, I realized that the world is bigger than me and that I am only a tiny part of it. I let the world overwhelm and flow through me. Everything in life that I had hated simply became things to learn from. I had a whole new perspective on life. Problems could no longer overwhelm me because I was overwhelmed with love. I did not move here right away. My parents became sick and they needed me to take care of them. After they passed away, I moved out here," Acadia finished.
Jack thought to himself that Acadia had the most pure form of both beauty in the world and thinking of others before herself. However, before he could get his hopes up, he had to ask one more question.
"Do you believe in miracles?" Jack asked cryptically
"You really think I'm crazy now, don't you?" Acadia asked, embarrassed.
"Not at all. I was thinking how some people can only see the beauty in life through miracles and others simply see life as a string of miracles. I was just wondering what you think?" Jack responded.
"Well. yes, I do believe in miracles. Everyone hopes that there is some mystical energy out there just waiting to help us. Indeed, without miracles what is there to believe in? I can't think of any logical reason why I believe in them. I think everyone must believe in whatever they feel is the truth. Each of us has to find our own truth. No one can rely on other's versions of truth. Does that answer your question?" Acadia asked.
Jack smiled.
Acadia made vegetable stew for Jack. He then decided to tell Acadia about his quest for the person with three qualities and the figure in the fog.
"So, did you ever find this person?" Acadia asked.
"Yes, I'm looking right at her." Jack replied.
"Me? Sure, I can see that I have those qualities but everyone has those qualities in some way." Acadia said.
"Acadia, I have traveled all around the world and no one has these qualities like you do. You are the one that is going to help bring everyone back into the oneness with the world," Jack said encouragingly.
"How am I going to do that?" Acadia asked.
"Well, everyone around the world knows the story of the person with three qualities. We will travel the world and share your qualities with everyone. We will show the world how to find love in the world." Jack said excitedly.
"Jack, you know that I cannot go with you. If I did, I would loose my oneness with the world. I must remain out here, surrounded by beauty and helping the lost like you. Besides, I cannot tell people that my path is the only way to oneness with the world. Everyone needs to find their own path to be one with the world. My path ended in this small simple cabin. If I were to leave, I would leave my path. I find it wonderful if others can follow my same path; indeed, I am not the first to walk it." Acadia explained.
"But don't you want to help people? I know how much you think of others before yourself." Jack pleaded.
"But Jack, don't you see, you have already spread the idea of a person who sees beauty in all things, thinks of others before themselves and believes in miracles without a reason. You have already told everyone the way to oneness with the world. I do not need to travel all over the world and tell people about the path when you have already done it." Acadia replied.
Jack was amazed. It had never been about Acadia at all. It has always been about him and his path to oneness with the world. Through his path to oneness, he has spread the idea of these three qualities. Jack never actually possessed the three qualities like Acadia did although he did feel like he was one with the world. Jack finally understood that everyone had to find their path on their own and that each path, however similar they might seem, are all different.
Jack spent a few days with Acadia knowing that he had reached the end of his path. He was truly one with the world. Jack died an old man a few years later. He was buried under the same tree he hit his head on and which began his path to oneness.
