Sky Butterfly's small, quirky philosophy-like stories.1

 Sky Butterfly's small, quirky philosophy-like stories.1

"The only immortal time is the past. The past may be forgotten, but it never disappears. Only when we live the present without regrets will that past become beautiful, and today be filled with happiness."

Eunu’s clock was always stuck on yesterday. It had been that way ever since he missed a long-held dream due to a minor mistake on an important project a year ago. Every night, lying in bed, he chewed over the passed time, thinking, 'What if I had made a different choice back then?' or 'If only I hadn't said those words.' To Eunu, the past was like a phantom that tormented him every single day.

Then one weekend, Eunu visited a quiet teahouse on the outskirts of the city. There, an elderly owner with grizzled white hair and a gentle smile was pouring tea while turning the pages of a large calendar. Eunu let out a deep sigh and asked the owner.

"Sir, wouldn't it be wonderful if there were an eraser that could wipe away the past? Regret keeps holding me back, and now I can't seem to focus on anything."

The old owner looked at Eunu while warming the teacups. Then, he spoke in a quiet, whispering tone.

"The only immortal time is the past. The past may be forgotten, but it never disappears."

Eunu’s heart sank. The thought that it would never disappear made his future look bleak, wondering if he would have to live in this regret for the rest of his life. The old owner pushed a teacup toward Eunu and continued.

"It is immortal because it cannot be changed. However, people often make a mistake. They think of the past as a fixed block of stone. In truth, the past is like a living garden. Depending on how you water it and what flowers you plant today, yesterday's barren land can become a lush forest or a wasteland."

The old owner pointed to the warm sunlight streaming through the window.

"Living this very moment without regrets is the only way to turn the past into a regretless memory. If you fill today with happiness, yesterday's clumsy mistake will be reborn with a beautiful new name: 'the precious foundation that made today's happiness possible.'"

Eunu wrapped both hands around the warm teacup. The warmth seemed to travel from his fingertips straight to his heart. He realized that while he had been resenting the past and wishing to change it, he had been letting 'now'—the most important time of all—slip away. The only way to make yesterday beautiful was to live 'today,' which was currently in his hands, with warmth.

As Eunu left the teahouse, his steps felt much lighter. The breeze was refreshing, and the sky was blue. Taking a deep breath, he smiled at the street stretching out before him.

The past would not disappear, but it was no longer frightening. His heart was now fully charged with the energy to live today without any regrets.

 

#Haneulnabi #LifePhilosophy #HealingStory #ShortStory #Mindfulness