Sometimes it only takes a bridge...

   The three men had traveled together for many days. They had been through storms, climbed over mountains, been attacked by wild  animals, robbed by gangs and had gone for days at a time without food or water. But now they stood on the banks of the river, looking across the cold and choppy water, trying to decide how they get to the other side and hoping this would be their last big challenge.
   After a few minutes and being in somewhat of a hurry, the first young man took off his shoes and socks, waded out into the water and began to swim toward the other shore, occasionally  looking back at the others and waving to them to join him. About half way across the river the current became much  stronger and being very tired, he stopped swimming for a moment. Suddenly he dropped beneath the water's surfaces and within minutes  was carried away by the muddy waters, too far from the others on shore to save him.
   He had been the 'risk taker' of the three. Free spirited, he had been the one who, when times were difficult, had kept the group together, either with his seemingly endless energy or his "wicked" sense of humor. A romantic at heart, he often forgot there was a practical and sometimes  harsh  side of life and in the end, he gave in to his youthful exuberance.
   After some time had passed, the second man decided he would build a boat. Not strong enough to even attempt to swim, he thought that "surely a boat would get them across the river  to the other side" and one step closer to completing the journey.
   Collecting what materials were available in the area, he was able to build something that resembled a boat. He was the 'creative one' of the group. They both laughed at its appearance and after naming it "The Ugly Duckling", it was ready for it's maiden voyage. Being the caution one too, he suggested that he "go out alone" not wanting to put too much weight in the untested boat and if he was successful, he would return for the third man. Both agreed that was probably a good plan since they had already lost one member of the trio to the turbulent waters. He would set out in the morning, but this night they would sit and talk, remembering their friend and their experiences.
   The morning air was clear and fresh as the sun peaked out from behind the mountain tops. There was little, if any, wind and the waters appeared calm. Carefully launching the boat into the water so as to not damage its weak and shaky structure, he was ready to set sail.
   Standing on shore, the remaining traveler could hear the his friend singing old shanty sea songs as he navigated his way from shore toward the other side.
   Within only a minutes from the other shoreline, strong winds broke the calm and peaceful setting, flipping the boat upside down and sending the sailor into the  water and like the other man, he too was quickly pulled below the surface. Feeling helpless, the third man could only stand and watch as his friend was carried downstream by the muddy and murky waters. Now alone, the third man sat and pondered what to do. Alone, did he want to continue the journey or turn around  and return to where they had come from?
   As he thought about his next steps a new group of three, on a  journey of their own, joined him. He briefly explained what had taken place as they attempted to comfort him. Their goal, too, was to cross the river, but based upon the story told, they decided that to swim or build a boat would not work. After several minutes one of group members suggested..."Lets build a bridge". The task seemed daunting, but there were now four of them and perhaps the extra hands might make it possible.
   They searched the area for items that could be used to build the bridge and found a place downstream where the span across the water was a bit narrower. As they worked, others passing by joined them and within several months they had built a bridge that spanned the river, was strong enough to support the weight of those who would  cross it and sturdy enough to withstand the rains and storms and turbulent waters below.
    It was now time for the first traveler to continue his journey and as he stepped onto the bridge he had helped create, he turned and waved to his new friends, thanking them for their help and within minutes after reaching the other side,  he was out of sight.
   Over time, the bridge became well known as a popular place for people to cross back and forth from one side of the river to the other.Within a few years, others would come and  rebuild the structure, making it bigger and stronger. What had once been a place where many were forced to end their journeys had been transformed into a place to gather and set out on new adventures into sometimes uncharted territories.
   Many of us will go through life and face challenges and obstacles we did not expect. We learn that life is not always as simple and easy to navigate as we had hoped and we learn that sometimes, when we reach what seems to be the end, with  help from old friends and new ones and a willingness to try new things and to trust others, we are able to move forward. Building bridges  and  trusting others  can take someone a  along way!