05/11/2026
A reminder from my son to continue attempting again and again.
Remember this In Your Own Way
A student approached the old master on the morning of his birthday and asked,
“Master… why do people fear getting older?
Each year feels like another obstacle.
Another spike.
Another failed attempt.”
The master smiled and handed the student a small glowing cube.
“Play.”
The student moved forward.
He leapt too early and struck a wall.
Again.
He was too late.
Again.
This time too hesitant.
Again.
Lead with too much confidence.
Hours passed.
The student shouted,
“This level is unfair!”
The master poured tea.
The student shouted louder,
“The jumps are impossible!”
The master lit a candle.
Finally, exhausted, the student whispered,
“I keep dying in the same places.”
The master nodded.
“Good.
Now you are beginning to remember the level.”
The student looked confused.
The master pointed toward the horizon where the sun was setting.
“When you were young, every obstacle felt personal.
Now you see patterns.”
He pointed to the glowing cube.
“The spikes did not become smaller.
You became wiser between jumps.”
The student sat silently.
The master continued,
“A child celebrates birthdays because they receive gifts.
An elder celebrates birthdays because they can finally see the map hidden inside the suffering.”
The student picked up the cube once more.
This time, he moved differently.
Not faster.
Not slower.
He moved without arguing with the rhythm.
And though he still failed,
he laughed.
The master smiled.
“Ah…
now you are no longer trying to beat the level.
You are learning how to dance with it.”
Then the master blew out the candle and said:
“Every birthday is just another attempt
where you finally keep a little more light.”
