For decades I carried a suitcase. Everywhere I went, I took the suitcase with me. Climbing up hills, running down hillsides. Flying across the skies, and swimming in the waters that run free. The suitcase came with me.
It was a heavy suitcase too. My shoulders were stiff and tired. Worn down by the years of carrying that suitcase. I just couldn't let it go. No matter how old it became, or even when I had to replace the old handle on the top.
One day, as I was climbing yet another mountain, lugging that ole suitcase in my arms. I decided that I was sick to death of carrying it with me everywhere I went. I stopped dead in my tracks, looked around me, and put the suitcase down on the dirt road. I walked over to the edge of the cliff and stood gazing out at what seemed endless green and trees. The sun was setting and the sky was filled with pink, orange, blue and gray colors streaked from one end of the sky to the other. I look down at my ole suitcase and had a talk with it.
“I'm tired and old. I no longer wish to carry you with me. Its been decades that I have bore you upon my shoulders. Decades since I could let you go. But I think its time now. Time to realize that I no longer can use you as an excuse. That I have to allow myself time to be free of you completely. And time to move on alone without you.”
I began to walk away, leaving the suitcase behind. My shoulders felt light, as if I could almost fly from the weight being taken away. I noticed I had a slight smile working its way across my face. I started to walk a bit faster. You know I didn't even bother to look back and see the suitcase behind me. I kept my eyes forward and walked towards my future. I no longer had any use for that ole suitcase. I was finally able to give it up and move ahead.
If you are carrying around a suitcase and its weighing you down, why not try to leave it on the side of a dirt road high in the mountains too. The suitcases, or burdens, that we all carry can weigh us down. They can stand in the way of us being able to see a new day. For we are so worried about that ole suitcase, all those ole problems of our past. Its time to let all of that go, time to move on.
There will always be someone who will carry that suitcase. But it no longer has to be you. Put it down and walk away. Look ahead and not back. Try to perhaps replace that suitcase with a baby riding on your shoulders instead. Or a new dress or suit of clothes. Or how about just letting the cold snow fall and rest on your shoulders. How light it feels. We all need to remember that we can not carry our burdens upon our shoulders our entire life. There comes a time when we must simply allow them to be left on the road of life. And allow ourselves a chance to be free of them and to seek a bit of true happiness. I hope you will decide to drop that suitcase right over the bridge too!
译文:
生活中,你是否带着太多的行李?
在过去的几十年里，我老是随身带着一个行李箱。不管我走到哪里，我都带着它。无论是上山、下山、在空中飞、在水里游，那个行李箱都从没离开过我。
那是一个很笨重的行李箱。由于年复一年地搬那个箱子，我的肩膀已经感到非常地费劲、非常地疲倦了。然而不管它变得有多旧，或者甚至有时我不得不更换那箱子上面的旧提手，我就是舍不得它离开我。
一天，当我在爬另一座山的时候，我又拖着那个旧箱子。我突然对我每到一处都带着它感到非常厌倦。我停下了来，看了看周围，把行李箱放在了泥路上。我走到悬崖边，凝视着那一片郁郁葱葱的树木。夕阳西下，天空中弥漫着粉红色，橙色，蓝色和灰色，从天的一端漫到另一端。我低头看着我那旧行李箱，和它谈了起来：
"我累了，老了。我不想再带着你了。几十年来，我一直将你背负在我的肩上。其实，几十年前我就可以让你离开的，但我认为现在是时候了。是时候认识到我不能再将你作为一个借口，是时候认识到必须让自己完全地摆脱掉你，给自己一点独自一人继续前进的时间了。"
我开始走开，留下了那个行李箱。我的肩膀感到从未有过的轻松，由于那些重量一下子没了，感觉似乎都能飞起来了。我留意到一个微笑掠过我的脸颊，我放快了脚步。跟你说，我甚至没有再回头去理会身后的那个行李箱。我直视前方，走向我的未来。我不再需要那个旧行李箱了。我终于能够彻底地放弃它，继续向前迈进。
如果你也随身带着一个行李箱，沉重地压着你，为什么不试着像我一样将它放在高山上的泥路旁呢？这些我们所背负的行李箱或者负担，都压得我们直不起腰杆。由于我们老是担心那个旧行李箱，担心所有过去的那些问题，他们可能挡在我们前头，让我们看不到新的一天。现在，是时候将它们甩掉了，是时候继续向前迈进了。
总会有那么一些人，将行李箱带在身边，但已不再是你。放下它，走开；往前看，不回头。或许你可以将行李箱换成一个小孩，让他骑在你的肩膀上；或者是换一身新衣服；又或者只是让冰冷的雪花飘落在你的肩头。那感觉是多么地轻柔。我们都必须记住：我们不能将我们的负担终其一生都放在我们的肩上，有些时候，我们必须将它们放在人生的道路上，给自己一个摆脱它们的机会，去寻求些许真正的快乐。希望你在过桥时也会决定扔掉那个行李箱！