The Girl as Bright as the Sun

Once upon a time, there lived a Girl as Bright as the Sun. Having been raised in a town where the northern lights danced across the frigid winter's sky and where she learned the true meaning of family. Having been surrounded by friends and loved ones and a support network as large as the mountains that encircled about her quaint little northern valley home. Having had great knowledge on the privilege it is to love and be loved by so many, wherefore, choosing of her own free will to share the light she'd received over the course of her life, she embarked on a journey towards a new land with a new people and a new way of life - leaving behind her northern lights and her mountains and her quaint little northern valley home but carrying within her heart all the things that distinguished the Sun Girl from the rest and every person she ever had the privilege of loving. 

Except, somewhere along the road between Who She Was and Who She Could Yet Become, the Sun Girl came across a tollbooth - one that blocked her way - where she was asked to get rid of any overweight baggage. So she cheerfully discarded her favorite songs and her favorite books, microwave popcorn and a closet bigger than 10 dresses. And she continued on her way. 

Except, somewhere along the road between Who She Was and Who She Could Yet Become, the Sun Girl came across another tollbooth - one that blocked her way - where she was asked to yet again get rid of any overweight baggage. So she hesitantly said goodbye to sleeping in and the peace that comes from true solitude. She left behind her dignity and her ability to blend in with the crowd. She got rid of all the baggage she could, and chose to carry only the people she loved (though they were many) within her heart. And she continued on her way. 

Except, somewhere along the road between Who She Was and Who She Could Yet Become, the Sun Girl came across a tollbooth - one that blocked her way - where she was asked yet a third time to get rid of any overweight baggage.

"How can I?!" She exclaimed. "The only thing I have left are the people within my heart, and if I give those up, I will be all alone!" 

The Tollmaster replied: "There's nothing to be done Miss. If you want to proceed, you must leave behind the extra weight that is slowing you down. You have a long journey ahead of you, and if you continue to carry all these things, you'll become exhausted and be unable to reach Who You Could Yet Become. Please leave the baggage at the window and proceed on your way."

The Girl as Bright as the Sun burst into tears and dug in her heels. She sobbed "Oh! I want so badly to reach Who I Could Yet Become, but I'm afraid if I leave behind the people within my heart, I will never see them again!! Im afraid to let them go!! What, oh what shall I do?!" 

So she sat there - sat there in the dust and the grime - and thought about her northern lights and her mountains and all the people she'd grown to love in her quaint little northern valley home. She sat there and thought about the laughter and the tears and the many many memories she carried within her chest. She sat there and thought about her worries and fears of what could befall the people she loved so much if they werent kept safe within her heart. She thought and she thought and she thought. 

And as she sat there thinking, she began to think instead about Who She Could Yet Become - that far away place and the long journey it takes to get there. She began to think about how far she had already come from Who She Was. And the Sun Girl began to think that maybe, just maybe, the opportunity to reach Who She Could Yet Become was worth the price she was asked to pay and worth the people she was asked to let go.

So the Girl as Bright as the Sun stood up and dusted off her skirts, straightened her shoulders and wiped away her tears. And she gently, ever so gently, placed the people within her heart (though they were many) on the Tollmaster's windowsill. She patted their heads and kissed them goodbye and promised that she would never forget any of the people she held so dear. And she continued on her way.

As the Sun Girl rounded the bend and disappeared from view, the Tollmaster stood up. He gently, ever so gently, gathered the people from within her heart, and cradled them in His hands. Then He took them to a little corner in the back of the booth, where He dusted off a place for them on a shelf - a shelf that also held favorite books and favorite movies, microwave popcorn and many many dresses, solitude and dignity and sleeping in, northern lights that glitter across a frigid winter's sky and mountains that encircle about a quaint little northern valley home. 

For unbeknownst to the Girl as Bright as the Sun, all the things that distinguished her from the rest and every person she ever had the privilege of loving weren't lost forever. Though she had to sacrifice them in order to continue on to Who She Could Yet Become, it wasn't a leaving behind but rather a leaving WITH. Not a giving up but rather a giving TO. A leaving with and a giving to an Infinitely Merciful Tollmaster who took all the important things in the Sun Girl's life and cared for them with the tenderness and gentleness she hoped they would receive. Because, you see, the Tollmaster wasn't planning on keeping them forever. No, far from it.

He knew that if the Girl as Bright as the Sun carried her popcorn and dresses, solitude and dignity and sleeping in, northern lights and mountain valley home and the many many people she had the privilege of loving and being loved by, she would be weighed down and become too exhausted to reach Who She Could Yet Become. The wise Tollmaster, who had seen thousands of travelers before her and would meet thousands after her as well, knew that the only way she could reach that faraway place and survive the journey it takes to get there is to leave behind any and all overweight baggage - but just for a season. 

And when her journey is through and she reaches Who She Could Yet Become, the Tollmaster will be waiting for the Girl as Bright as the Sun. Waiting with favorite books and favorite movies, popcorn and dresses, solitude and dignity and sleeping in. Waiting with northern lights that glitter across a frigid winter's sky and mountains that encircle about her quaint little northern valley home. And He will be waiting with all the people she'd held within her heart, cradled gently in His kind and loving and infinitely merciful hands. 

And everything will be just as it should. And the Sun Girl will live happily ever after.