Under the Same Roof

There was a thunderous knock on the front door at midnight. It was persistent. With disinclined stares and drowsy stomps, they opened the door anyway. Greeting them with mountains of luggage were their mistakes, looking for a place to stay. You see, the mistakes had heard of the news of a new year approaching around the corner and so they wanted to stay relevant, to weigh down, to subdue. A new leaf is about to be turned and this certainly cannot be; not on their watch. "How dare they move past us without permission!" they bellowed.

The people try to shut the door in haste, but their mistakes were faster, with colossal battering rams, they kicked down the door. As the people scramble in fear, they forage the best hiding places to escape the touch of these intruders. The crowd of mistakes was massive. The man with the red flags dashed to catch her, the job he hates but stays in anyway almost covers him, the friends she hurt leap to try to cover her, the things she said in places where she should not have tries to bury her. Oh, how the people run! Letting those mistakes catch up to them will undo an entire year of rebuilding.

Peeping from their hiding holes with laboured, raspy breaths, the air becomes too thin and eventually the people have to come out. The mistakes have all gathered in the center of life's room and await eagerly the people's exit. "Mistakes are not meant to go away, they are meant to be faced!" the mistakes all chanted. It was deafening. One by one, the hiding doors swing open and the people feel the horror of facing their mistakes head on. What a scary sight!

Everyone and their mistakes stood facing each other; the people in fright, the mistakes with the power of forcing humility, until..................one person notices something rather peculiar in front of one of his mistakes. A different possibility was there, a chance to do and become better, waiting with hands outstretched to beckon to the man......to come. He could only reach that hand, however, if he embraced the mistake standing right in front of him. He should not try to avoid it or run past it, for eventually it will catch up to him again.

And so, while the people are fearful, they look at their mistakes right in the eye. They embrace and make peace with each other, making promises to not disregard but to take accountability and use their mistakes as pedestals for growth. As the people confront each mistake, the mistakes suddenly began to appear smaller, almost dissipating. Then the hand that has been waiting seems closer to reach and is now surrounded by light. Each person takes hold of the hand of the new year, and they all turn to say "thank you" to their mistakes. The people now proceed to place their feet forward unto a new path. A path of uncertainty, yes, but a path that they will walk freely and without baggage.

The mistakes all cheer as the people move on and now they pack up their luggage, for their task is complete. Under the same roof, facing their owners who are the people, the mistakes once again prove that the only way forward for the people is to find courage to face their mistakes, to acknowledge their mistakes, to move past their mistakes, to conquer their mistakes.