Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day. The sun had barely risen, causing the normally baby blue sky to be sprinkled with the pastel shades of soft yellow, orange, and pink. The picture perfect grass was so green it looked as if a child had colored it. Flowers were blooming, an assortment of every color imaginable popping out next to the color of the sky. Identical, dusky brown houses stood side by side, white picket fences surrounding the front yards. The only bit of unorderly appearance was the occasional toy or bicycle lying on the ground.

Most occupants of the city were only just arousing. Men and women all over were wiping the sleep from their eyes, either to start their work day or to take care of the children. However, one woman was already wide-awake. She was draped in a light sweater and jeans, walking swiftly and anxiously through town, as if fearing that the longer she took to reach her target the less likely it was to be there. Her face held a look of fierce determination, and she ignored those who waved as she passed.

It didn't take long for her to arrive at her destination; after all, the town was anything but large. The woman had stopped walking so suddenly that one following her path would have bumped right into her. She was staring at the interior of the cemetery, the first look of ambiguity crossing her features. She look a tentative step inside, her foot coming to rest on a patch of grass that wasn't as green as the rest of the city's. She froze, waiting to see if she was swallowed into the depths of the world by going too far. After a moment she realized that all was well, and took a few more steps into the cemetery, shivering ever so slightly.

She crossed though the yellow-green grass to a spot along the edge, right next to one of the brick barriers. Dropping softly down onto her knees, she ran her hand over a cracked, cool headstone, rough from the harsh storms the city had been exposed to over the past few weeks. It was beautiful today, though – as a matter of fact, it was the first beautiful day in many months. The woman, however, had taken no notice of the beautiful day. All of her energy and being was directed toward the headstone. She ran her fingers gently over the numbers etched into the stone, depicting a life too short. Six feet beneath her held the body of a boy she would never know.

Leaning down her head, the woman began to cry. The weeps were silent, but the tears came rapidly. They dripped from her cheeks and nose and onto the near-dead grass. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Unexpectedly, she threw her arms around the headstone and gripped it tightly, almost as if thinking that if she held it hard enough, the life taken would be restored. She clutched it for dear life, her face pressed up next to it and causing goose bumps to erupt over her body. Her body shook from the chills, and she finally unwrapped her arms from around it and used her hands to rub up and down over her arms. Her teeth chattered, and a couple more tear drops leaked from her eyes.

She stood up shakily and nearly lost her balance, leaning against the wall for support. Her eyes never left the headstone. She only averted her gaze when a green leaf floated down on top of her head from the tree above. Removing the leaf, she held it in front of her and studied it intently. After a moment she looked up at the tree that it had only until recently been attached to, and examined it as well. Her mouth opened ever so slightly as she reached up and grazed the branch closest to her, her hands skimming over the flush of leaves. She picked a few and brought them to her face, breathing in deeply and surprisingly enjoying the scent of spring.

The woman let the leaves gently flutter down to the ground at the foot of the headstone. She watched in amazement at how the hidden beauty of the leaves seemed to brighten up the surrounding grass. She bent down again, caressing the leaves. Shooting another glance over to the headstone, she planted a light kiss on the top of it, her lips tingling.

She stood up again and started to leave the cemetery. Along the way she picked a small daisy she hadn't noticed before and placed it behind her right ear. She stepped outside the gates, taking a deep breath and savoring the taste of fresh air.

As the woman began her journey home, she walked sluggishly. This time around, she was more acquainted with her surroundings. She watched longingly, albeit contentedly, as two small children played with a fire truck while their mothers gossiped and clamped onto steaming cups of coffee. She stopped to smell a beautiful red rose as she passed the bush, loving the smell of newly-bloomed flowers. She ran into a man selling Harry & David pears outside of a supermarket. She bought a bushel and as she recommenced her stroll, she took a large bite out of the pear.

Almost as soon as she bit into it, she could feel the juice erupt out of the pear and pour down the sides of it. She chewed her chunk of pear and swallowed, relishing in the delicious flavor. The pear juice was dripping out of the pear and running down her arm, but she took no notice. She sucked some of the juice from the crater of the pear and took another large bite. She was giving all of herself to the pear, loving the feel of it rolling around in her mouth. She continued biting and sucking out of the fruit, all while getting baffled stares from passersby. She finished after a few moments, and tossed the remains of the pear into a garbage can.

The woman continued her walk home, her bag of bears swinging from her arm. She let her fingers brush lightly over the flowers in her ear. She smiled to herself, and realized that if you can embrace the beauty of today, you could somehow find the strength to survive tomorrow.