Life Is Like a Train
Credit – Echoes of Insight

My grandma had a saying she repeated often: “Life is like a train, child. You don’t stay at every stop, and not everyone rides with you until the end.” As a child, I didn’t really understand what she meant, but now, as the years pass and my own hair turns gray, I see the deep truth in her words.

When you’re young, the train is loud, fast, and crowded. Everyone seems to be on board—friends from school, neighbors, coworkers, and family. The compartments are filled with laughter, excitement, and plans that make it feel like the ride will last forever.

As the journey continues, people begin to get off at different stops. Some leave because their path takes them elsewhere, while others are lost suddenly, leaving behind empty seats we can’t bear to look at. With time, the train feels quieter, and we start to understand how precious every shared mile truly was.

That’s when Grandma’s wisdom comes alive inside me. She said the secret wasn’t to mourn every passenger who leaves, but to treasure the ones still sitting beside you. Her voice reminds me to look out the window and notice the scenery that’s always changing.

There are sunrises, fields, cities, mountains, and long stretches of open sky—all part of the same ride. Each moment, like each passenger, has its own season and beauty. The view outside keeps shifting, teaching us to appreciate what’s here before it’s gone.

Now, when I visit her memory in my heart, I can almost hear her voice again. “Don’t be afraid when the train empties out,” she said gently. “Be grateful you had company for as long as you did, and when your stop finally comes, step off with peace.”

Life truly is like a train—filled with comings and goings, goodbyes and reunions. It carries moments of noise and stretches of silence that teach us who we are. By the time we reach the last station, we realize the ride was beautiful not because it was perfect, but because it was ours.