tree

Years ago, when I had just started high school my dad drew me a tree.

I had decided, against the advice of everybody to try my luck in the international baccalaureate programme. However, at the time, my English simply was not good enough to actually study in that language, so that I could actually understand what I was learning.

So one afternoon I came home, devastated. The evil coordinator of the programme had convinced me into believing that I was simply going to fail.  I would not pass my first year and would then never be allowed into the international programme. Never.

I could not stop crying. My life was ruined. I would never get what I want but would be doomed to pass bad schools and do menial tasks for the rest of my life, dying unhappy.

My dad drew me a tree. We were sitting in our kitchen. I was crying and he drew.

My three had thick trunk and lots of leafy branches, all going high up. He told me that there were different ways to get to the top. I could, legitimately, just use the main trunk, the fast lane.

Or I could use the branches. And maybe occasionally return to the main trunk to save some time. Obviously the benefit of using the smaller branches was, that they always too some more time and with time they brought more experience, which more often than not was not only fun but also useful.

I returned to the main trunk a year later, after having spent some time in South Africa, improving my English. That year on the other side of the world was the best year of my life by the way. Just if you are wondering.

And I never failed.

Now, I was devastated. I had a job. I graduated with a job offer in my hand so legitimately I should be a happy bunny but no, I was miserable. I got a job, yes, but I did not get THE job.

I was convinced I would be doomed to do menial tasks for the rest of my life and dye unhappy, thinking my life had been ok but never anything too amazing.

My friend told me to think about my dad’s tree.

I think I have caught hold of the next branch.

And it is far higher than the one I am standing on.