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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Expire (08/01/13)
Sitting on her old rocking chair on the porch, contemplating on the changing colors of dawn on the eastern sky, Mildred sipped her morning coffee. She was tired most of the time and that made her inactive. Inactivity was the reason for the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness. Then depression sets in and to cure it you take medication that makes you tired. As a Psychiatric nurse she knew all about this vicious cycle. She also knew that if she could keep her mind active she could deal with her depression.

Today her thoughts were concerned about life in general and her own in particular. Life starts with breathing in at birth, continuing breathing in and out until one day it culminates with breathing out and expires. What happens within that period determines whether you have achieved your God given potential.

Paulo Coelho in his classic book, The Alchemist, explains why we do not achieve this purpose. First people tell you, that you can’t do it. Second you feel you are selfish and betraying your commitments to people you love. Thirdly you are afraid you will fail and finally you are afraid of what would happen if you succeed, where would it lead you. Mildred had encountered all these obstacles in her life.

As a young girl she had a dream to become a nurse. Her father had refused to send her to Nursing School and she had ended up as a Purchase assistant in a factory. She got married and had two girls. At the age of fifty her husband passed away. By this time her daughters were married and were settled in life. Mildred decided that now was the time to realize her dream.

She resigned her job and joined the Nursing school. After she graduated she entered the State Mental Health Department as a Psychiatric nurse. She went through all the four stages of negative influences that Coelho had described and succeeded to overcome them.

As she continued to contemplate on her life, Mildred realized that she was physically tired because of her age, and that was natural. Depression was a result of mental tiredness. She had no reason for that. The Alchemist was happy when he achieved the purpose of his soul. She should be happy too, for she had succeeded in achieving her goal.

Mildred smiled as she considered the inner peace and strength she had always felt in the presence of God. Depression and loneliness had no place when she was enclosed in His loving arms. That was her resting place in life and she was assured that it would continue even when she breathes her last breathe and continues into eternity.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
C D Swanson 
08/10/13
Powerful ending, and powerful entry. Nicely done, well written, and well told.

God bless~
Scarlett Farr
08/14/13
There were some nice descriptive phrases in the story. The third paragraph was a bit of a strange transition that seemed to break the flow. Otherwise an enjoyable read.