My lonely paradise

        The alarm clock  sang as he rolled out of bed. The realization of what time it was hadn't dawned on him yet. It was 5:45 on a Saturday morning; his favorite time of day. He pulled the shirt over his head, put on his jacket and walked outside. Only 20 minutes to sunrise.

        He walked through the woods down the path. It was mid spring and all of the trees were full of green leaves. The feeling of being one with nature enveloped him. He felt so serene, so tranquil, so detached from the world. The smell of the dew on the uncut grass reached his nose. The dimmed colors of the flowers stood out in the dark. He could hear the creek in the distance. The birds were just starting to wake up and were chirping quietly. They were singing good morning to each other as they stretched their wings and became active. He continued to walk until he came upon a group of pine trees. The smell was as thick as the sap from the branches. There were thousands of orange and red needles on the ground from past years. Pine cones were scattered around.

        Just beyond the trees there was a beautiful lake. The lake was as calm as can be. Not a single ripple to be found. The reflection of the trees made the water seem like a parallel universe. Five minutes to the sunrise. He ran his fingers through the sand. It was cool from the night. He found a flat rock that had, over the years, been polished smooth by the water. Two minutes to sunrise. He could see the light begin to shine over the horizon. And in that spectacular moment it seemed as if all noise stopped. No birds were singing; there were no animals rustling in the bushes; the insects were not buzzing or chirping. And in this perfect silence the sun peaked over the horizon. It was aligned perfectly shining through the trees and shone on the lake. In this moment the sun was glimmering in the lake and light was reflected everywhere. The absolute reflection gave light to places otherwise shrouded in darkness. There appeared to be millions of crystals that replaced the water of the lake. The world stood still. The trees were illuminated and all of their inhabitants were exposed. He looked around and took in the experience. He took the rock and skipped it across the lake and into the sun. The rings spread and formed a beautiful pattern as the rock disappeared in the light. Everything was so bright and colorful he couldn’t take it all in at once. The leaves of the trees had such a deep green and the water was so blue. It looked as deep as the ocean and was the home to an array of animals. There was a ripple in the water as a fish broke the surface while swimming, searching for its breakfast. He sat at the base of an ancient oak tree that was covered in dark green moss. The giant brown roots broke the surface of the ground and were woven together. He rested his head against the tree and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and smiled.

        As he was walking the path back to his home he observed as the surrounding wildlife became active. A family of raccoons was scavenging for food. Their relaxed pace about life seemed calming to him. He thought of how easy the life of an animal is. To not have to worry about things and to be able to forget about things moments after they happen. An animal lives in the present; not concerned about the future and not focused on the past. Then, after harvesting a blackberry bush, raccoons scurried away. He continued on until he came upon an injured butterfly. Its wing was damaged in the top right corner and couldn't fly. He watched as it struggled to fly to a flower. He gently picked it up and placed it on the best looking flower. Immediately it began to eat the nectar that it craves. Such a little action had made such a difference to this butterfly’s life. It was so simple yet meant so much.

        He returned to walking, alone with his thoughts once more. He thought of the world and he thought of the people in the world. Specifically he thought of one person. One person that he would like to share this experience with. A special person to him, though she doesn’t know it. He wants to see her eyes light up as the sun will fade the darkness and shine over the lake. He wants to hear her gasp in awe as the light turns the lake to crystals. And he wants to hold her hand under the moss-covered tree. He wants to be close to her as this perfect moment passes by. It’s more than just the sunrise . . .  He wants her to know that she matters to him, that he wants to share something so personal with her. However, he is too afraid to risk it and he will just continue to watch the sunrise over the lake on a mid-spring morning and think of his love for her.