Never alone

I recently started reading a book called 'Don't look down' every night before I go to bed. It has short inspirational tidbits that are an easy read, and leaves you with something to think about as you drift off into the land of nothingness.

It gives a parable. There was a town that was located adjacent to a desert which was very hot and dry. Every stranger who passed through the desert to get to the town arrived thirsty and tired, all energy gone. In preparation for the journey, a person traveled light, sometimes with only the clothing on his back.

Once, a man arrived in the town carrying a heavy violin on his back. Despite the heavy weight, and the heat of the desert, the man seemed refreshed and energized, not tired and lethargic like most. The people of the town thought this most unusual, and so they inquired as to how he was not tired despite his heavy burden.

"Ah, but there is the answer, my friends. You look at it as a burden. But to me, it is what kept me going. When the sun got so hot and I began to tire, I sat down and played my violin. The beautiful music was like a balm on my soul. It refreshed me and gave me the strength to keep going. My violin is never a burden."

The comparison is the Torah. Some people look at it as a burden, something extra on top of everything else there is to worry about in life. They see it as an obligation, but nothing more than that. They resign themselves to their fate, and do it as if it is shackled to their leg.

What they don't realize is, the Torah is like the beautiful music. It is something that will keep us going and give us strength to overcome our real burdens in life. The Torah is not a burden. It is sustenance.

I watched a movie yesterday called "Letters to G-d". It is about a young boy who has cancer, and how he has such strong faith throughout it all. His mother despairs, his brother is filled with anger towards G-d, but the little boy Tyler, he writes letters to G-d. He tells G-d everything. About his best friend, how he wants to hear his mother laugh again, about his neighbors, and his classmates. Also about his cancer. He sends them in the mail, with postage stamp and all, addressed, 'To: G-d, From: Tyler'. It is cute, but he truly believes that it will get to G-d somehow.

It is based on a true story, and Tyler dies in the end. It is sad, but it is so beautiful to see a boy so young, and being sick on top of that, to have such strong faith and such a close connection to G-d.

Remember that. Whenever you are feeling alone, like you have no one to talk to, no one understands you, remember. There is always the One who will listen, He knows, He understands, and you can always turn to Him for comfort and for answers.