The girl and the woman

Once upon a time... between distant lands... I met a little girl with sadder eyes than mine... I looked at her, and tears poured down my eyes. Tears locked inside for a long long loo-ong time... and visions came from faraway lands, along with broken dreams of long ago...
So I sat down with my little reflection, and kept wiping away her tears... I tried to bring a smile... I tried and I tried.
Some times it seemed to work but as she grew, the task became harder and harder and soon it started to seem in vain. Her little pink mouth curved permenatly down wards - up side down! It was a hopeless chase as despite my countless tries, blank her face did remain.
Then one fine day, she started to scream and kick and push me away. In defiance, her little legs walked further and further, empty rage blinding her from the dangers in her way. The stones she tripped over, the pits she fell into, countless branches to scratch and scar her pretty face...
Calling out, reaching out, grabbing... but I couldn't hold her... young and strong willed, confident in her naivete...
Yet 'I' saw them all coming, for it was a path I'd walked once before, a long time ago... since then it had become darker, wilder scarier... and the big bad wolves were only badder. All I hoped was to give her a torch to light the way through!
I was about to give up and started to walk away, upset... when a little hand tugged on my sleeve. Frustrated and hurt I shook her off and was about to go along my own way... and then I realised that I needed to see beyond what was there to see... despite my own fears I had to be what I had to be...
So I turned around and lo behold, fast came a running little girl straight into my arms - no longer as bold. I stroked her hair and kissed her cheek, whispering into frightened little ears 'be afraid no more... love will always be here... '
The little girl then walked on but in her hand now my torch... but the pretty face not as flawless as before... yet to my eyes her scars added to her beauty, new strength glowed through... finally I saw her smile, and then I cried again tis true!
And so we walked side by side, happily ever after... no thats not true - we sometimes walked on opposite sides... she is she... I am me... and the routes differed from time to time... so perhaps this story ends with a beautiful woman and a withered old woman... living ever after sometimes happily, some times sad... but always to gether with love on our side.