Once upon a time three friends: truth, love and integrity, set out on a journey. But, as they stood together, poised to go in the same direction, truth looked at the other two and asked, "Wouldn't it be more productive if we each took different paths?" Love looked at Integrity and shrugged while Integrity pondered this notion for a moment, "Hmmm, I think you may have something there. Why don't we each travel North, on separate paths, and in one year, we will meet back here to share what we've learned." Love smiled and embraced his friends, "I wish each of you a safe trip." Truth leaned on Integrity as Integrity smiled at Love, "I will see you both soon." And off they went, each on his own path...
It was a tempestuous year, one filled with extraordinary hardships and ecstatic joys in human life on the planet. The changing of leadership in many countries, uprisings in others, significant athletic contests, births of babies, deaths of civic figures, religious upheaval...
On the 365th day, it being a Sunday, Love was the first to emerge from his path and to arrive at the preordained meeting spot. Waiting patiently for his comrades, he stared up at the sky, considering all that had passed since he'd last seen his friends. He heard a shuffling behind him. As he lowered his eyes and turned back, Truth emerged through a cloud of dust, but before he could say anything, Integrity suddenly appeared to his left and in but ten seconds, they stood together once more, as if no time had passed at all. "My friends" Love said warmly, "It has been too long." He moved to embrace them, but, noticed that Truth rebuffed his gesture of friendship, staying his hand. Confused, Love furrowed his brows, but, choosing not to challenge his friend, he let it pass and turned instead to Integrity, extending his hand, which his brother took, shaking it, but not smiling. Neither of them spoke until Love asked, "And so, how was the year?" Truth looked at Integrity and then back at Love, "Let us sit down for the telling?" He chose a boulder on which to rest, his friends taking the cue and sitting across from him. "Well," Truth sighed, "I would like to tell my tale first if that is alright." The other two nodded in agreement and listened as Truth began his tale...
"I found myself in many places this past year with people from every corner of the Earth, and I was moved by what I saw and by what I heard," he paused here as if unsure how to formally begin. He sighed, looking carefully at his friends before continuing, "I found myself in places where I did not expect to be and I could not find myself at all in places where I thought I would be embraced." Love noticed the sadness with which he spoke just then. Truth continued, "I was infectious in classrooms and in homes with small children," he smiled, "Where there were authority figures who insisted on having me present in the lives of the young and they often rewarded the children for bringing me out, for welcoming me into their lives." Here, Integrity nodded, "I was everywhere in courtrooms and confessionals, in the thoughts of people who value you" he pointed to Integrity then and Love laughed, "I was less present in government and business than I hoped to be and I was scarce in places where greed and selfishness thrive." Truth took a deep breath and this time when he looked up, there was real sadness in his face, "I was but fragments in the lives of most adults and so often, I was covered up and even drowning in halves and white lies, stories that would assuage or placate those who did not want nor who could handle my presence. Some thought me like a pestilence and some thought that I didn't exist at all." Integrity got up then and went to sit by his friend as Truth began to weep, "There, there my brother," He paused, "Our journeys sound so similar." Truth stared up at him while Integrity nodded, "Yes, I too am found in places where one would not always think to look and I was surprised at how many people who suffer and who have very little embrace me the most, who hold me closest to their hearts when they are starving and dying and as they watch their children pay the price of insolence and rampant greed. There are so few people in the world today who value me anymore. Rather, they see me as outdated, overused and even unnecessary. I am but an afterthought for many people." Integrity waited while Truth composed himself and then he half smiled, "But in those people who embrace you, they embrace me as well" Truth looked at his friend and the light began to come back into his eyes, "For in those who value me, they honor you and there are many" Truth did smile then, "Yes, I can see that; I did see that. I just wish that there had been more, not less." Integrity looked off into the distance, "Yes, it seems as though those who have lost faith in others, those who have lost faith in what is possible; they are the ones who do not value either of us because they are struggling to exist, to survive even." Truth added, "And I suppose that we are both profuse in the young because they have not yet learned that there is a choice and that by choosing to have us present that it makes them stronger, to fight and to live..." The young breathe Truth and Integrity, just as they embrace Love: freely, without censure or tethers.
Now Love had remained silent throughout their discussion and their recollections of their journeys; they had almost forgotten that he was there. As their conversation waned, Truth looked at him, "I am sorry dear friend, we are not excluding you on purpose, please tell us your tale." Love smiled warmly as he was wont to do most often and he looked at the faces of his brothers, of those with whom he often resides in all throughout the world, but his face became twisted then and filled with pain. "Brother" Integrity got up from the boulder next to Truth as he moved over to embrace Love, "What is it?" Love was clearly suffering at the thought of what he would tell, but he took a deep breath and told it anyway...
"And so I am everywhere, in small animals and in children, in homes and cathedrals, in marriages and in friendships," Truth looked at Integrity wondering why Love sounded so forlorn as the tale that he conveyed was one of universal existence and rather pleasant at that. They both waited until Love continued, "I was visiting a small town halfway through my journey" he said brokenly "and it was here that I learned that even those who embrace me, who long for me, who look for me their whole lives; it is these same people who abuse me and who use my very existence to harm other people. For in claiming my presence, in naming me as their reason for being there, people often, in so many ways, turn violent and selfish and to use your word Truth, greedy with their feelings and their belongings and even with their power over others." He hesitated, "It was when he struck her across the face and then told her that he did it because of me, because I was there; I thought, I felt..." here he stopped and put his face in his hands, but he kept on, "There are countries where thousands, millions claim it is me who motivates their wars, my presence in their places of worship or for their dictators or for the money that drives their economy. There are women who touch their stomachs, weeping, claiming my presence right before they terminate a pregnancy. There are adults who abuse small children, children whose faces turn to them as they bask in the light of my existence and as hands strike their faces, the adults tell them they do this because I am there, because of what I am and how I am. There are people who take their own lives and say that they do it because I am no longer present in their lives, because they cannot feel me there..." Love stopped then, the sadness enveloping him and overtaking his ability to continue. Truth nodded in agreement, "Yes my friend, your journey has been a difficult one. It is harder to see the goodness in who we are and what we do than it is to see how they often twist what we are in order to justify their own end..."
Integrity stood then and reached out his hand for Truth. Truth then reached out his hand for Love. Amidst the tears and the sadness, the triumvirate held one another tightly as Truth spoke, "And so we see where the work is to be done and as much as they need us, they also turn from us, ironically when they need us the most. But we will continue to make our presence known so that they can move forward and rebuild and thrive. But most of all, we will stay the course because they want us to; deep down they desire our existence, they just don't always know it." Integrity and Love smiled at their friend's eloquence and as the bond between them strengthened, they saw the faint light that was left of that day disappear over the horizon. Integrity shivered, "And so the battle continues. Let us move on together in the hope that we will one day conquer our enemies and create a place of compassion for all of them." Love looked up at the last of the sunlight, "They were there you know," he glanced at his brothers who nodded in agreement, "Yes, I found them present as well" Integrity bowed his head, "Yes, but not always as strong I found." Truth replied,
"Yes, but look at the history, for as long as there have been people, they have existed and for me, to me, they seem to grow stronger, especially in this age." Love added, "Yes, and where we are weakest and the least present, they are the most rampant." Integrity whispered, "Deceit, Hatred, Corruption" and he shuddered. "As long as people embrace us, they will have nothing to fear" Truth said, "Come, let us plan a new course for tomorrow." Integrity looked at Love, "Yes, as long as they embrace us" We shall see...
And so, the trio of friends set out once more, unsure as to what they would find on their continued travels, but hoping once again, that they would see bits of themselves in the lives of those who roam the earth; of those who wish to inherit it...
The End
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