Pick a Word, Paint a Story #14

Hello everyone, on this occasion I would like to participate in a contest held by @senehasa about "Choose a Word, Paint a Story #14"
Following my previous entry I would like to invite my friends @neyistar23 , @sur-riti , @xkool24 , to participate in this contest

The Ladder of Life

In a village, there lived a young man named Darma. He lived with his mother in a simple wooden house on a hill. Every day, to reach the fields and market located in the valley, Darma had to go down an old stone staircase built by his great-grandfather decades ago. The staircase consisted of more than a hundred steps, with moss and wild grass growing in between.

For Darma, this staircase is part of his life. Since childhood, he has been accustomed to walking on it every day, memorizing every step that began to crack, every gap that must be avoided so as not to slip. His mother always advised him, "Life is like a ladder, son. Every step must be taken carefully."

One day, his mother fell ill. To buy medicine, Darma had to go down to the market earlier than usual. That morning, the fog still hung over the hill, making the steps appear faint. However, Darma had no choice. Carefully, he stepped down, one by one, making sure his footing was firm.

At the market, Darma met an old trader who had just arrived in the village. The trader sold herbal medicines and offered a potion that he believed could cure his mother. However, the price was quite expensive. When dawn broke, he carefully went back down the stairs, carrying a basket of fresh vegetables to sell. After successfully getting enough money, he bought the potion and returned to his home.

Day by day, his mother slowly began to recover. Darma felt relieved, but he began to realize something. The stone stairs that had faithfully accompanied his life were getting worse.

Well, determination dictated that Darma would go to fix the ladder. He called in the village youth to help, pick up, clean off, and reinforce broken stones/cement for seating, hand rails on sides of ladder.

Hard as the work was, they knew this ladder was for their parents' friends" too and their grandparents', a symbol of the fight over the generations.

Work returned the ladder rigid after weeks of work, everyone the ladder faced had no more need to fear a slip. The villagers saw the ladder too differently from then on. They think of it as a barrier instead of the fact, that life is lined with hurdles and every road in your journey has its own.

So that is what Darma learned from the ladder. Life is a path full of obstacles, but with patience and effort we have found the way of everyone life will end safely. He also discovered that the ladder to my home that links up with the valley, is simply a metaphor for every persons own ladder of life -some they'll have too heave their way up sometimes having to walk back down.

There is smiling Darma standing at the top of ladder one day. He knew that this staircase would always remain standing, and testify to each step of the others. And he swore in his heart away that he would always protect and care for them, he promised the protection of every step, just like he did.