Growing up means learning what life is. When we were young, we have a set of ideals, standards, criteria, plans, outlooks, and we think that we could just sit around and wait for them to happen to us. But life is not like that for anybody; we can't fall in love with a standard, we have to fall in love with a person.

We can't live in a criteria, we have to live our lives. We cannot wait for our plans to materialize, because they may never materialize the way we think they will. We can't wait to watch our ideals and standards walk up to us, because we do not know what's ours until we have it.

I would take the first chance in case I never get a second one, but growing up takes even one step further. Growing up means, we have to hold on to what we have, when we have it, because what we have, is ours; but all the ideals and criteria we have set in our heads are not ours because those have not happened to us.

Someone has said that life is like a journey on a train... with its stations... with changes of routes... and with accidents! At birth we board the train and meet our parents and we believe they will always travel by our side. However, at some station our parents will step down from the train, leaving us on this journey…alone.

As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant i.e. our siblings, friends, children and even the love of our life.  Many will step down and leave a permanent vacuum.  Others will go so unnoticed that we don't realize that they vacated their seats!

This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, goodbyes and farewells.  Success consists of having a good relationship with all the passengers...requiring that we give the best of ourselves. The mystery to everyone is: We do not know at which station we ourselves will step down.

So, we must live in the best way possible: love, forgive, and offer the best of who we are. It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty, we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.

Let us live life to the fullest while we can and collect memories like fools collect money. Because in the end, that's all we have: happy memories. It is our road and ours along. Others may walk it with us but no one can walk it for us.

We have a choice to live our best every day, no matter what the circumstances. Good luck and I wish you a joyful journey on your train of life.  Reap success and give lots of love.  More importantly, thank God for the journey! Lastly, I thank you for being one of the passengers on my train! 

  By Tim Pedrosa

Tim