Annia cried as she struggled under the burden of her backpack. It was very heavy and she had such a long distance to walk. Each step made the pack feel heavier and made the shoulder straps cut more fiercely into her skin. She didn't feel she could take one more step, so she eased herself down onto a flat rock by the side of the trail. She slowly lowered the backpack to the ground and sighed with relief at the release of pressure.
After a short while, Annia fell asleep and rested well. She usually kept the backpack on while she slept, which made it difficult for her to get rested. She couldn't relax her muscles when she wore the backpack to sleep and woke achy and tired. But she seldom took off the pack, especially when she slept, because she feared that someone would take the pack from her while she was unconscious.
Annia awoke and suddenly remembered that she had taken off the pack. She jumped up and swung around, anxious that it might have been stolen from her. But there it sat on the flat rock where she left it. She heaved a sigh of relief and hoisted the pack on her shoulders once more, groaning at the weight of the burden upon her.
Before she took half a dozen steps, she saw a large stone on the ground, a granite stone that looked like it weighed at least 20 pounds. She stooped, grabbing onto a nearby sapling lest she lose her balance, and picked up the rock with both hands, then tossed the rock up and behind and neatly into the open top of her pack. The impact of the stone on the heap of the others in the pack knocked her down to the ground and Annia struggled to get up.
A man came by and offered to carry her pack a while, but Annia adamantly refused. She could not allow a stranger to take hold of her pack; he might take off with it, or worse, he might open it and see what was inside. Annia struggled further down the path under the weight of the burden, barely able to keep moving forward. She saw a stone at the side of the path and stopped to pick it up. Somehow she managed to stay upright as she lifted the 10-pound stone and throw it up into her pack. Then she struggled on, keeping to the wide path through the forest.
At a stream, Annia stopped to quench her awful thirst. She could never get enough water, and this stream looked lovely, refreshing and inviting. She put the pack down for a moment and leaned down to sip from the crystal-clear water. Her legs and body were so tired that she had trouble keeping her balance, and she slipped into the stream, which was about waist deep. The water helped support her and she stood upright for the first time in weeks. It felt so good to stand erect, the way the human body is meant to stand! She felt so good she started to laugh and play in the cool beautiful water. The water was so pure she could see the rocks at the bottom. She saw one she liked and she dived under to get it and put it in her pack. Then she climbed out of the brook and took up her bundle again and made her way along the path again.
After about 2 more miles, she saw a woman coming toward her out of a beautiful meadow. The woman had picked flowers and was enjoying their beauty. As she came to the side of the path, she offered the flowers to Annia, but Annia couldn't accept them. "I can't carry those flowers and this pack," she cried, "I can't carry another thing! This pack is already killing me!" "Why don't you let me lighten your load," the woman pleaded, "I can take some of that weight out of your pack so you can carry the flowers." But Annia just cried. She could never let anyone see the contents of her pack--they would laugh at her and make her feel terrible about each one of them. Annia was truly heartbroken, because she wanted the flowers so much, but she simply could not carry their weight.
Another mile down the road she saw another rock she liked and threw it into her pack.
At this moment, the weight became too much for Annia to bear. She toppled to the ground face-first and laid under the emmense heaviness of all those stones. She could hardly breathe. She was afraid she was going to die. A man and a woman found her lying there and started to take the pack off her back, but Annia struggle against their efforts. She was afraid they would laugh at the stones! The stone represented her entire life and she couldn't let anyone laugh at them! It would be a rejection of her very life! The man and woman gave up and left her alone on the dusty path, where she laid for three days and three nights.
On the morning of the fourth day, Annia was near death. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything for three days, and she could still barely breathe. A young man came by and saw her predicament. He stooped down and looked into her face. She asked him for help. He said, "Man, I can't do anything about your backpack, but I can give you these pills. After you take them, you'll still have the backpack, but you just won't care about it anymore." Annia took the pills, and just like the young man said, she didn't seem to notice that the weight was killing her. But after a while the pills' effect wore off and she needed more. She took the same amount, but this time she felt the weight a little bit. The next time she felt it more, and before long she was in as much pain as she had been without the pills.
Annia cried out for help.
A preacher came to her and offered to help her up. "The weight of those rocks shouldn't matter," he said. "If you believe you can fly, you can fly. Just be positive and your pack will feel lighter and your life will be easier." Annia smiled and started to think positively. She felt the weight ease up a bit and tried to stand up. She was sure she could do it. But soon her body and willpower were depleted and the rocks felt heavier than ever.
After a short while, Annia fell asleep and rested well. She usually kept the backpack on while she slept, which made it difficult for her to get rested. She couldn't relax her muscles when she wore the backpack to sleep and woke achy and tired. But she seldom took off the pack, especially when she slept, because she feared that someone would take the pack from her while she was unconscious.
Annia awoke and suddenly remembered that she had taken off the pack. She jumped up and swung around, anxious that it might have been stolen from her. But there it sat on the flat rock where she left it. She heaved a sigh of relief and hoisted the pack on her shoulders once more, groaning at the weight of the burden upon her.
Before she took half a dozen steps, she saw a large stone on the ground, a granite stone that looked like it weighed at least 20 pounds. She stooped, grabbing onto a nearby sapling lest she lose her balance, and picked up the rock with both hands, then tossed the rock up and behind and neatly into the open top of her pack. The impact of the stone on the heap of the others in the pack knocked her down to the ground and Annia struggled to get up.
A man came by and offered to carry her pack a while, but Annia adamantly refused. She could not allow a stranger to take hold of her pack; he might take off with it, or worse, he might open it and see what was inside. Annia struggled further down the path under the weight of the burden, barely able to keep moving forward. She saw a stone at the side of the path and stopped to pick it up. Somehow she managed to stay upright as she lifted the 10-pound stone and throw it up into her pack. Then she struggled on, keeping to the wide path through the forest.
At a stream, Annia stopped to quench her awful thirst. She could never get enough water, and this stream looked lovely, refreshing and inviting. She put the pack down for a moment and leaned down to sip from the crystal-clear water. Her legs and body were so tired that she had trouble keeping her balance, and she slipped into the stream, which was about waist deep. The water helped support her and she stood upright for the first time in weeks. It felt so good to stand erect, the way the human body is meant to stand! She felt so good she started to laugh and play in the cool beautiful water. The water was so pure she could see the rocks at the bottom. She saw one she liked and she dived under to get it and put it in her pack. Then she climbed out of the brook and took up her bundle again and made her way along the path again.
After about 2 more miles, she saw a woman coming toward her out of a beautiful meadow. The woman had picked flowers and was enjoying their beauty. As she came to the side of the path, she offered the flowers to Annia, but Annia couldn't accept them. "I can't carry those flowers and this pack," she cried, "I can't carry another thing! This pack is already killing me!" "Why don't you let me lighten your load," the woman pleaded, "I can take some of that weight out of your pack so you can carry the flowers." But Annia just cried. She could never let anyone see the contents of her pack--they would laugh at her and make her feel terrible about each one of them. Annia was truly heartbroken, because she wanted the flowers so much, but she simply could not carry their weight.
Another mile down the road she saw another rock she liked and threw it into her pack.
At this moment, the weight became too much for Annia to bear. She toppled to the ground face-first and laid under the emmense heaviness of all those stones. She could hardly breathe. She was afraid she was going to die. A man and a woman found her lying there and started to take the pack off her back, but Annia struggle against their efforts. She was afraid they would laugh at the stones! The stone represented her entire life and she couldn't let anyone laugh at them! It would be a rejection of her very life! The man and woman gave up and left her alone on the dusty path, where she laid for three days and three nights.
On the morning of the fourth day, Annia was near death. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything for three days, and she could still barely breathe. A young man came by and saw her predicament. He stooped down and looked into her face. She asked him for help. He said, "Man, I can't do anything about your backpack, but I can give you these pills. After you take them, you'll still have the backpack, but you just won't care about it anymore." Annia took the pills, and just like the young man said, she didn't seem to notice that the weight was killing her. But after a while the pills' effect wore off and she needed more. She took the same amount, but this time she felt the weight a little bit. The next time she felt it more, and before long she was in as much pain as she had been without the pills.
Annia cried out for help.
A preacher came to her and offered to help her up. "The weight of those rocks shouldn't matter," he said. "If you believe you can fly, you can fly. Just be positive and your pack will feel lighter and your life will be easier." Annia smiled and started to think positively. She felt the weight ease up a bit and tried to stand up. She was sure she could do it. But soon her body and willpower were depleted and the rocks felt heavier than ever.
