The Afternon Walk

There is healing in being alone and observing the lives of others go on without you. You know and understand that they will be just fine.

You pull away little by little and they let you.  They forcefully stomp forward into their futures while you quietly keep getting further and further behind them.  It is gradual so they don't really notice but you do.

While they are stomping forward at a breakneck speed you are more content to stop and wonder up at the treetops, you are aware of the cool breeze and the fresh water spilling from the leaves so you appreciate it for hours.

Suddenly you think of them and remember to look ahead, you watch them as they are so far away now that all you can see is their dark silhouette.  At some point they forgot to stop looking back to see if you are still there.  You smile and wave, not sure if you should just let them keep walking. For a moment you are seized with the panic of solitude so you run as fast as you can to catch up thinking that maybe it is your fault that you are so far behind and perhaps if you tried harder you could go where they are going too.  Soon though you are doubled over and out of breath and you realize that to keep trying to reach them is pointless.  You prefer to stay here and walk at your own speed, you can breathe here which means you still have life in this moment.

"Goodbye" you whisper, unsure if you will ever see them again.  The thought of this brings tears and then a deep sleepiness comes afterwards.  You look over to your right and there is a cool patch of thick grass that just looks like the perfect place to rest.  As you feel your eyes closing you wonder if they will ever open again.  Perhaps death comes as a deep sleepiness, you think.  You decide to take that chance, you close your eyes and curl into the comfort of grass, air and sky.

Your eyes do open again and there you are still lying in the grass.  It is now cold, the sky is dark and you feel alone.  Except wait a minute you here all these noises around you, you shine your flashlight and you see the glow of little bunny eyes a few feet away.

You get up and brush off all the dirt and the bugs that were resting with you.   You stretch for a bit and then start walking ahead at your own speed.  You are aware now more than ever that you are never truly alone.