The Maze

I recently moved to the beautiful town of Castlewellan in Co Down. It enjoys a spectacular view of the Mournes and has an extensive forest park and lake of its own. At the edge of the park is the Millenium Maze which I imagine to be one of the finest in the country. The young saplings that were planted have now reached maturity. There are no short cuts. Navigating around it is a challenge; there are many dead ends. As a metaphor for life it encourages an attitude of detachment and wonder. Each of us faces trials and dead ends in life which force a change in direction. Years later we can look back at the learning that resulted from these experiences and recognise their formative nature. On a summer afternoon the maze is full of happy children running from one lane to another, lost and laughing. Sitting down and sulking is not an option for them. Life is fun; let’s get up and at it! Complexities will arise later. There will be unexpected, and often unwelcome, twists and turns in life, In such times those who retain a spirit of adventure will be first back on their feet. Later they may even feel gratitude for their trials. Perhaps that’s what’s meant by the saying ‘Unless you become like little children you cannot enter the kingdom of God.’ Emotional resilience allows us to explore more of life’s paths while retaining our smile. Eventually we’ll all find the exit from our personal maze. I want to be able to look back and genuinely feel that mine was fun.