The school forest in Park Rapids contains old, tall trees, loud animals, colorful leaves, and fresh pine smells. But among its beauty, one thing stands out. Brush Lake at the school forest calls my attention. The breeze pushes me there and I find my place on a worn-down path where others left their mark. Leaves scatter under me and a broken-down tree lays on top of the path. I sit down on a gray, fuzzy blanket and wrap up in my sweatshirt to begin writing. I have no idea what to write about, so my eyes start wandering.

Life surrounds me: the birds chirping in the distance, the bugs crawling on my blanket, and the wind blowing past my ears remind me of the beauty of nature. Life flourishes from the grass I currently call home to the tree supporting my body. Casually, I look around again to find inspiration. It comes directly to my left in the form of a dead muskrat. My mood saddens as I realize among the amazing life of the forest, death makes itself present. The muskrat reminds me that my life is short and how I can make an unforgettable mark on people’s lives before my inevitable death. 

Fresh blood covers the muskrat’s mouth. Its two teeth are chomped down, clenching its jaw as if it were mad. All four legs curl up waving goodbye to it’s life. The dark black tail of the muskrat contrasts the gray hairs on its body. This makes me think it died of old age. In my life, I want to live like the muskrat; to die of old age, but fighting until the end.

Life happens and then death hits like a punch from Mike Tyson: quick and unexpected. No one knows when or how they will die. That is the only constant in everyone’s lives. The muskrat woke up that day not expecting to die. I realize that I do the same, but the reality is my death could approach at any time. This makes me think hard about what I want to do with my short amount of time.

When my time comes, I do not want to regret failing to do my part. I believe my responsibility is to help others and have a lasting impact on their lives like the muskrat is doing for me. Not only is the muskrat inspiring me in writing this paper, but it is also making me realize what I want to do in life. I know I want to help others and I need to take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

One time at a stoplight in Fargo, a homeless man sat with a ragged cardboard sign reading “Homeless, anything will help.” I see those signs all over and usually act like I don’t see them. These instances though are perfect opportunities for me to give what I have. There I was sitting in a heated car, not embracing the elements, while this homeless man was swallowing his pride and asking for money. I don’t know where or what homeless people will spend their money on so I normally don’t lend a hand. After driving by them, I feel guilty that I didn’t help out. Homeless people give me an opportunity to take the chance to give instead of receive.

As I contemplate how to impact others’ lives, I consider my strengths and weaknesses. The muskrat’s strong teeth and claws show me it had the ability to survive by attacking other animals in the forest. Although I don’t share this trait, it allows me to realize what I am good at. I am friendly, helpful, caring, and faithful. When I see someone sitting alone or without friends, I usually go and sit by them and spark up a conversation so they don’t feel left out. I know how I feel when I am left out and I don’t want anyone experiencing that feeling. When I do that, I feel great about myself and know that I made someone’s day special. This is one of my strengths that I can use to positively impact others.

The muskrat is also small which is a weakness because then it can’t protect itself against larger animals. A weakness I have is being self-centered. I think about myself before I think about others and pursue what is best for me. If someone is doing better than me, I feel a competitive drive within me to do better than them. For example, my friend and I were painting and her artwork looked spectacular. Mine was average and after I didn’t want to admit that her’s looked better than mine. Therefore, I didn’t compliment her and suggested we did something else. I want to be the best at everything I do and that causes me to focus on my success over others’ sometimes. If I can work on that weakness, then I will be able to impact even more lives, which is my ultimate goal.

As I ponder the thought of life and death and what I want to do in life, a gust of wind comes along and shifts my focus. I avert my eyes to the trees above me. The trees wave back and forth smiling and saying good morning. The tree I am leaning against is dead. It was alive, but the trunk gave out and sent the tree to a crashing death. The muskrat was once lively as well. These provide absolute signs that everything living will die someday.

Dying is the easy part, but living is not. I bet the muskrat truly lived. He ended his life with bloody teeth and claws scratching to stay alive showing that he had more to give. I plan to truly live by giving my time and money to charities, assisting others in learning about God, and helping out the less fortunate by providing them with basic needs. If I can do these things, I know my life will have purpose. The old muskrat knew its purpose in life and I am starting to realize mine.

A buzz in my pocket goes off and I check my phone. The time glows and shows that I have to go back. I glance once more at the beautiful life and peaceful death among the woods. I came to the school forest to find out about nature and I leave finding out more about my life. Life is a mystery and we are the detectives using every clue we get to do our best and try to live life as best as we can. I thank the muskrat for reminding me that life is short and for showing me my purpose in life. In this forest visit I was reminded of my strengths and weaknesses, and I now know how I can make an unforgettable mark on people’s lives before my inevitable death.