Forgiveness

After walking for (what seemed) a very, very long time along the Path of Kindness (with Himself and Others), He found himself in a small clearing in an Endless Field.

The sun warmed his soul as he emerged from the cool, wooden forest. The branches that shaded him - and held him in the shadows - were gone. The muddy, rocky path that he had clumsily walked gave way to firm, soft footing.

He dropped the small bag that held his few remaining possessions. He had learned, long ago, that some things were just too difficult or heavy to carry with him.

He shed the thick, leather coat that had kept him warm along the way.

He listened to the quiet whisper of a gentle breeze rushing into the trees behind him.

Then, He sat, still and quiet, and faced This. He thanked the Grass for giving him a soft place to sit. He did not move away when the Sun reached out to brush his cheeks with her warm fingertips. He did not flinch when the Wind began to brush the hair away from his forehead.

He simply closed his eyes and allowed the Universe to love Him, again.

After (what seemed to be) a very, very long time, He saw that here was no magnificent field of fragrant flowers. There were no grand, towering trees. There were no bubbling brooks or clear blue lakes or oceans with endless seas powerfully pounding the shores, Here. In fact, Nothing that he had Expected to find was Here.

Instead, there was only an eternally blue sky, a wandering sea of waving green grass, and a Stillness that was marked with a single, broken, wooden sign.

It read: "Forgiveness".