The Moment

The cold fall winds bite my face as I wander down the path that leads from my house and down through the meadow and to the lake. I scowl coldly as I fight off streaming thoughts about irrationality and insignificance, insecurity and inability. My aggravated and fast pace draws labored breaths from my lungs. I slow for a moment to catch my breath and compose myself, but I continue walking towards my undisputed destination. As I walk farther down the path, I reach the meadow. The scowl on my face slowly turns to a look of intrigue when I notice a tiny figure silhouetted against the backdrop of the moon’s iridescent light. Gaining ground, I realize that that the brilliantly broadcasted figure is that of a small deer. She looks at me for a brief moment, and I feel a certain and definitive warmth begin to spread over me. As I walk closer, I expect her to consider me suspect and seek cover in the nearby brush, but she simply watches my movements, as if she is almost as intrigued by me as I am by her. I approach her cautiously, being ever so careful in all of my actions, as not to cause any rift in the unexpected chance she has offered me. I move in, closer and closer, until just a thin layer of thorns and high grasses are separating myself from her and her infinite beauty. I reach my hand out slowly, hoping for even the slightest physical contact with this beautiful creature. She ponders my gesture for a measurable second, before stretching through the thorns and the grasses to press her nose into my palm. A rush of excitement fills my heart. To feel such a close relationship to such a wonderful creature is incredible. I smile warmly when she runs her nose against my skin, almost as if she is saying “it’s ok, I trust you. And you can trust me. We can trust each other.” And then, with absolute flowing beauty, she departs quietly into the brush. After one fleeting glance, I turn back towards the direction I was headed, through the meadow and towards the lake. When I reach the lake’s edge, I am immediately taken aback by the reflection in the water. The reflection is serene, calm, and peaceful; a far cry from the jaded and shattered heart that I have come to know in the mirror of my bathroom. I ponder the scene before me, thinking that nature must be playing some kind of prank. I had never before seen such beauty in myself as I did at that very second, in that very spot by the lakeside. As I stare into the reflection of my long-awaited counterpart, I feel that same warmth beginning to spread through me again. My heart swells even more as I think to myself about the beauty of the moment; a moment of peace and inspiration, serenity and clarity; a moment of love. On my journey home, a light layer of gray fog beings to arrive, mingling harmoniously with the brisk evening air and creating a soft-spoken blanket of provocative romance. I walk along the small path that leads up from the lake and through the meadow and back to a different kind of home. I walk slowly, tracing thoughts in my head with every step. I breathe in the evening air with intense regard for its smell, its texture, and its taste. As I pass through the naturally formed isles, long yet beautifully overgrown with mosses and weeds, I think to myself about the beauty of the moment; a moment of love.