10/17/2025
My grandma had a saying she repeated often: “Life is like a train, child. You don’t stay at every stop, and not everyone rides with you until the end.”
As a child, I didn’t really understand what she meant. I thought it was just one of her old-timey sayings, like the ones she whispered while sewing or baking pies. But now, as the years pass and my own hair turns gray, I see the truth in her words.
When you’re young, the train is loud, fast, and crowded. Everyone seems to be on board—friends from school, neighbors, coworkers, family. The compartments are filled with laughter, plans, and noise. It feels like the ride will last forever.
But as the journey goes on, people get off. Some step off at new stops because their path takes them elsewhere. Some are lost suddenly, leaving behind empty seats we can’t bear to look at. And slowly, the train grows quieter.
That’s when Grandma’s wisdom comes alive. She said the secret wasn’t to mourn every passenger who leaves, but to cherish the ones who are still sitting beside you. To look out the window and notice the scenery, because it changes constantly—sunrises, fields, cities, mountains, all part of the same ride.
Now, when I visit her memory in my heart, I can almost hear her voice:
“Don’t be afraid when the train empties out. Be grateful you had company for as long as you did. And when your stop finally comes, step off with peace, knowing you traveled well.”
Life really is like a train—filled with comings and goings, goodbyes and reunions, noise and quiet. And if we’re lucky, by the time we reach the last station, we’ll realize the ride was beautiful, not because it was perfect, but because it was ours.
Credit - Echoes of Insight
