What is the difference between zebra markings and stripes?
Perhaps zebra markings are the stories we tell, and stripes are the ones we have lived. The former are visible, sometimes even theatrical; the latter are deeper, more intimate. And sometimes, they blur together ...
Once upon a time, in the golden savannah,
There was a zebra not quite like the others.
His stripes, more numerous, deeper,
Told a story that no one really saw.Each mark was a trace,
of a wind too strong, of a vivid hope,
of a battle fought, of a dream lost,
but also of laughter, of a peaceful morning.The other animals looked at him in amazement.
“Why so many stripes?” asked the gazelle.
The zebra smiled gently:
“Because I have lived.”He had understood that his markings were not flaws,
but signs of strength, proof of his passage.
And that, just as trees bear their growth rings,
he bore his stripes with courage.One day, a lion approached,
but in the dance of the stripes, he lost his way.
The zebra walked away, free,
protected by what had once wounded him.Ever since that day, it is said that zebras
have more stripes than other animals,
not because they are weak,
but because they are beautiful for having survived.So goes the zebra,
Adorned with his zebra markings like a stage costume,
And marked with his stripes like an ancient parchment.
He moves forward, not in spite of his marks, but because of them.For every line, every curve, every scar
Is proof of having hoped, struggled, dreamt,
And above all, of having lived.
What do you think?
What hurts us transforms us. What transforms us reveals who we are.