WXY

WXY 1

¹“Dad, are you religious?” ²“Yes.” ³“So you believe in god?” ⁴“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. ⁵I never really choose the things I believe. ⁶But I choose to be religious because I know that I must have faith, when I have nothing else.” ⁷“So god isn’t real? ⁸None of that stuff is true?” ⁹“It’s not always about what’s true, or false. ¹⁰It’s not that religion is true, or false, but it is powerful, my child, far more powerful than you could know.” ¹¹“But why, then, should there even be anything at all, instead of nothing?” ¹²“I don’t know. ¹³You can always ask why, my child, and to ask why is to be human, but matters of truths and causes are not so clear to me. ¹⁴Truths are true because they are, and I know that I am here today, the universe telling me its one truth. ¹⁵There is something because there is. ¹⁶As for nothing, well, nothing is here, too, right beside us. ¹⁷But today, there is something, and for that, I am grateful.” ¹⁸“That doesn’t make sense. ¹⁹So you will only ever know truth from your perspective? ²⁰Some things are true for everyone, like it’s true that the grass is green and the sky is blue and the clouds are made of water, right?” ²¹“Oh, I sure hope so, but it’s hard to know everything. ²²The universe doesn’t owe it to you to make sense. ²³Truth is a difficult thing, my child. ²⁴And yes, I’m sure there are many truths of the universe, but I can only wonder how magnificent they might be. ²⁵And I hope that I can know them someday, as I’m sure you do too, but we are only human. ²⁶But please, my child, remember that truth is not always good, or bad, it’s just there. ²⁷So you must do your best with what you are given.” ²⁸“But what am I given, dad?” ²⁹“Oh, a great many things. ³⁰You are a beautiful creation, more complex and intricate than you could know. ³¹But as far as truth goes, you are only given one. ³²You know it in your heart and in your soul, just as I know it, because it is true. ³³And it is certainly not an easy truth, because like you said, you can only ever know it from your perspective. ³⁴But as long as you are here, my child, the universe will be here, too, showing its face, so hold your truth close, because it is all that you will ever have.”

WXY 2

¹“But dad, is it good to be religious? ²Should I try to be like you?” ³“Oh, I don’t know, my child. ⁴Matters of good and bad are not very clear to me.” ⁵“But some things are bad, right? ⁶What about killing or stealing or all of the other evil things?” ⁷“Yes, some things are bad, I’m sure. ⁸But I don’t need religion to tell me what’s good and bad. ⁹It is part of me, I know it and feel it in my soul, and I doubt that religion could change my mind anyway.” ¹⁰“But that’s so confusing. ¹¹How, then, can I ever know what’s good and what’s bad?” ¹²“Oh, it’s not easy at all, my child. ¹³But good and bad are not facts, they are judgments, comparisons, almost, but not facts, so be careful.” ¹⁴“So good and bad are different for everyone?” ¹⁵“Yes, I suppose, because what’s good for the light must be bad for the darkness. ¹⁶But don’t worry, just be careful, my child, because we are not perfect, me and you, as physical beings, so you may go your whole life without ever truly understanding the nature of good and bad. ¹⁷But it’s okay, because even if you do not know, you can always fight.” ¹⁸“So is that my purpose, then? ¹⁹To fight for what is good? ²⁰Because sometimes, dad, I struggle with meaning, and despite the joys of life, everything feels pointless, and I’ve begun to doubt that I have a purpose at all.” ²¹“Oh, you have a purpose. ²²It might be less obvious than the purpose of a pencil or a broom, but if you look hard enough, I’m sure you’ll find it. ²³I know it’s hard, but don’t worry, my child, because life is precious, not because you have purpose, but because you are human. ²⁴And I agree, to do good is a beautiful pursuit, but there is more in life than just good or bad things. ²⁵Purpose is a challenge, unattainable, in a way, because although you are alive, you are much, much more. ²⁶But that’s the beauty of it. ²⁷Because we are in this universe, but so too is the universe in us. ²⁸Do not look to the stars to give you meaning, for it is you, my child, who gives meaning to the stars.”

WXY 3

¹“But sometimes I am miserable, dad. ²Even when I try my best to keep a smile, everything just fails.” ³“I know it’s hard, my child.” ⁴“But I feel so ungrateful, because I am alive, and I am healthy.” ⁵“That’s okay. ⁶It is not a sin to admit that life is hard, even for the luckiest of us.” ⁷“But I don’t know what to do. ⁸Please, dad, tell me how to stop the pain.” ⁹“It’s okay to not know. ¹⁰When your knowledge defeats you, there is nothing to do but have faith.” ¹¹“But I can’t take it. ¹²My mind and body and soul disagree and pull me apart in different directions.” ¹³“Then pray.” ¹⁴“What?” ¹⁵“Yes, my child.” ¹⁶“How would I do that? ¹⁷Are you saying I should have blind faith?” ¹⁸“Oh, not exactly, my child, although I think you’re beginning to understand. ¹⁹Sometimes when nothing feels right, all you can do is look out at the universe, and ask for mercy. ²⁰I know it’s hard, and it’s not fair, not at all, I’m sorry. ²¹And you can suppress it and run from it and hide from it all you want. ²²But until you are able to face pain and gaze into its eyes, you will never truly be free from it.” ²³“But I regret what I’ve done, and it haunts me.” ²⁴“I know what it’s like, my child, and there is no worse feeling. ²⁵But those moments are gone, and you can only move forward. ²⁶It is easy to worry about what could or would or should have been, and such things are human, but they are not real, no, not quite as real as the birds or the trees. ²⁷There are only decisions, and there are consequences. ²⁸But don’t be too hard on yourself either, because you can only learn from your world, and your world can only be a result of all that you’ve done. ²⁹And it might get worse, but it will get better, I promise. ³⁰I won’t tell you how to live your life, because your life is yours alone, but please be kind, because pain can be contagious. ³¹But you will be kind, I’m sure of it, my child, because just as I have faith in the universe, I have faith in you, too, and that’s why I brought you into this world.”

WXY 4

¹“Dad, what happens when we die?” ²“That’s not an easy question, my child.” ³“Death scares me.” ⁴“Oh, of course it does. ⁵Death, decay and rot, maybe even depression and darkness, yes, it goes by many names, but it’s scary indeed, because we are alive, and it is the barrier we cannot cross. ⁶And once it consumes us, we will cease to exist, me and you, as physical beings, and I would say I’m quite confident in that.” ⁷“So do you fear death, dad?” ⁸“No, not really. ⁹I am quite familiar with it, actually. ¹⁰I face it every day. ¹¹As do you, but you might not see it yet, my child. ¹²But don’t be afraid, just keep faith. ¹³Death is around us, me and you, and you must be strong, for it is behind you, but you must be humble, in the face of it.” ¹⁴“I hope I can understand it someday, I really do.” ¹⁵“Yes, me too. ¹⁶But don’t seek death either, my child, because it’s easier to find than you might expect. ¹⁷And you can’t defeat death, I know it’s sad, but you must learn how to live with it.” ¹⁸“But what if I die today? ¹⁹What if I go to hell? ²⁰The thought scares me.” ²¹“Oh, hell is scary, indeed. ²²But I’ve been there, and lived, if you can believe it. ²³Many have been to hell.” ²⁴“How did you get there? ²⁵Do bad people go to hell?” ²⁶“I’m not sure, to be honest. ²⁷Many die there, and others are born there, but most wander there aimlessly, seeking refuge, or out of curiosity, or by accident, and they get stuck, like I did, long before you were here. ²⁸It might be hard for you to understand, my child, but hell can be comfortable, you see. ²⁹And there is only one way out, straight through, through the flames and the agony and the darkness. ³⁰So if you find yourself there, do not have shame, stand proud, for you are strong. ³¹But please, my child, don’t hide in hell. ³²There is nothing to do but keep moving, and keep moving forward.”

WXY 5

¹“Dad, are we truly free? ²Humans, I mean. ³Do we have free will?” ⁴“Oh, my child. ⁵Such questions are interesting, but they are hardly matters of truth, I’ve found. ⁶We are physical creatures, me and you. ⁷So we are at the mercy of the physical laws of the universe. ⁸But we are special, I think, because we are human, and we can experience the wonders of joy and the depths of sorrow.” ⁹“What do you mean?” ¹⁰“Freedom is a tricky thing, because we will only ever have this moment, and we can never go back. ¹¹But freedom is not a fact, it is a feeling, and you feel it, my child, I know you do.” ¹²“But are things inevitable? ¹³Can the universe see the future as clearly as the present? ¹⁴It’s unsettling, isn’t it, dad?” ¹⁵“Oh, I don’t mind it. ¹⁶Some things are inevitable, I’m sure, but they are not here, not yet. ¹⁷So I try not to worry about such things, because I am more interested in what’s truly here, now.” ¹⁸“But what if I don’t believe in free will?” ¹⁹“Well, then you don’t. ²⁰And maybe you’re right, and maybe you can even prove it using whatever precise definitions and experiments. ²¹And I know it’s not easy, the whims of the world pulling your heart and your soul in countless directions, but still, do you not feel it, my child, do you not feel your faith flowing through you?” ²²“I don’t get it. ²³So you’re saying it doesn’t matter if I have free will?” ²⁴“No, my child, I’m saying that you do have free will. ²⁵I know it’s hard, but to me, the truth of the universe is enough, and the universe tells me that I am free. ²⁶And sometimes, in your physical and finite being, your beliefs will make you doubt yourself. ²⁷But that’s the beauty of it, because even still, faith does not end. ²⁸However high you think your freedom can take you, aim higher. ²⁹You are a beautiful creation, more free and miraculous than you could ever know. ³⁰So please, my child, follow your dreams.”

WXY 6

¹“But dad, what should I do, in this world? ²How do I become a good person?” ³“You love to ask the difficult questions, my child.” ⁴“But do you know the answer?” ⁵“I’m sorry, my child, but there is no simple answer to that question. ⁶Matters of good and bad are not easy, and they never will be, and it’s tragic, indeed. ⁷But it’s a blessing, too, because if good and bad were simple, I doubt we would be here at all, for it is only within the subtleties of good and bad where I have ever found duty. ⁸I can tell you what I believe, but that’s the best answer that I can give you.” ⁹“Please tell me, dad, because if there is anything that I need to do in this world, I need to do good.” ¹⁰“You continue to impress me. ¹¹But please remember, my child, life is sacred, even if it is not yours.” ¹²“Tell me, dad, tell me what you believe.” ¹³“I believe that to be a good person you must get out of bed, each day, ready to perform the duties which are called upon you. ¹⁴You must look in, at yourself, and understand that it is your responsibility to act, not the universe’s responsibility to give you meaning. ¹⁵And excuses may be a reason, but they are not enough, not in the way that I see it. ¹⁶Because even if you wish to do good, intent is not quite enough, either. ¹⁷Bad intentions are rare, I’ve found. ¹⁸But intentions are nothing more than the sticks and leaves used to build the fire of action. ¹⁹And when the fire warms hands or burns down forests it is not so important how it started.” ²⁰“That sounds so stressful. ²¹What if I accidentally let my fire go?” ²²“Oh, it’s very stressful, and it’s certainly not easy. ²³We are physical beings, me and you, and we are small, no match for the roaring furnace of the universe. ²⁴But that’s the beauty of it, in a way. ²⁵Because you can always push yourself to be better, always, my child, for there are no limits to faith. ²⁶That is what makes us human. ²⁷But please, don’t be too hard on yourself, my child, just be kind and be honest, and most importantly, never let go of your faith. ²⁸Fighting to do good is not a matter of right and wrong, or true and false. ²⁹It’s a matter of life and death.”

WXY 7

¹“Dad, what is love?” ²“Oh, love. ³There is nothing quite like it.” ⁴“But what is it? ⁵Is it beauty, joy, desire, or respect?” ⁶“No, not quite, I don’t think. ⁷There is love in those things, I’m sure. ⁸But the nature of love is not so clear to me, and I have spent my whole life trying to understand it. ⁹To me, love is a connection. ¹⁰It is like water, we need it to survive, and if we do not have it, we will seek it, fight for it, and do whatever it takes to find it. ¹¹But you can only receive in love what you give, because love goes both ways, always, for love is a connection, between life and death, or between your soul and the stars.” ¹²“But sometimes I feel that love hides from me. ¹³It’s like I can hear it around the corner, and I swear I have even caught up to it and caught a glimpse of its ghost, but I have never truly grasped it.” ¹⁴“I know it can be hard, my child, believe me. ¹⁵The wonders of this universe are undeniably magnificent, but they are too vast. ¹⁶But that’s the beauty of it, in a way, because love does not end.” ¹⁷“But how should I even begin to understand it, dad?” ¹⁸“I wish I could give you an easy answer, my child, I really do, but I fear that love is greater than what could ever be described. ¹⁹I know the universe can be cold, and death is relentless. ²⁰But just as love is a feeling, it is an action. ²¹And even though love can be tragic and desperate and fleeting, there is nothing greater than love, because love is why we are here, me and you. ²²So please, my child, do everything in love.” ²³“But I feel lonely sometimes, dad. ²⁴And I’m grateful to have you, I really am, but what about after you’re gone?” ²⁵“It’s okay, my child. ²⁶I know that love is not easy, and love is not fair, either. ²⁷But you are strong, stronger than you could ever imagine. ²⁸There is pain and struggle and suffering in this world, I know. ²⁹There will always be pain and struggle, so much of it, and I’m sorry. ³⁰But don’t worry, my child, because I love you. ³¹And it is not just me saying this, the universe is talking to you, my child, because you must remember, although we are in this universe, so too is the universe in us. ³²And the universe said I love you, too. ³³And please, my child, do not forget that, even after I’m long gone.”