When I was a boy, there was a summer that I spent with my best friend's grandparents on their farm. The old man had an ancient Ford pickup truck that he used to get around the hilly terrain of his land, rain or shine. It was rusty in places, the gears would sometimes grind and most of the window glass had cracks. My friend and I shared some laughs about the huge number of miles that appeared on the odometer and the bumpy, noisy ride when he took us on trips across the countryside. Now, I look back and realize how many times that old truck must have broke down and how the old man would replace a part here, adjust a belt there and go on his merry way ... never once considering giving up on the 20-year old machine that had carried him so faithfully over hundreds of thousands of miles.
We are like that farmer and his truck. As transplant survivors our bodies can get rusty in spots and the gears certainly do grind at times. We do what we must to keep the engine running and the tires inflated. With careful attention to the needs of the machine, it carries us down the road. It may not race like a sports car or haul big loads like a shiny black SUV, but its odometer keeps registering mile after mile. Sometimes, we have to wait for major replacement parts to arrive, but we make good use of glue and duct tape in the meantime. The A/C may no longer function and the upholstery may be ragged but the wheels keep turning. We continue on our journey ...
" We cannot direct the wind,but we can adjust the sails." -Bertha Calloway.
Replies
Thank you for reading my story :)
You have a wonderful mind that shares so many uplifting stories with us all here. Thank you.
Great analogy Mark! (But I'll bet that farmer visited his local mechanic for some specialize repairs every one in a while!)
What a great way to try and describe our situation. I will be sure to use this the next time I am trying to explain what we go through.
What a lovely story! great analogy :)
Beautiful
Thanks for sharing and providing a great picture of transplant life.