Tranquility

There was nothing like it. There had never been anything like it. It was home to her, and it was where she wanted to go during every day of the year. However, she only got to go during the summer months, once every other year. This was the only thing about Sweden that she did not like, the fact that she got to go there so little. It was expensive to go, and she knew that, but she just couldn’t help but be drawn to its beauty. There was just something about the beauty and tranquility of her mother’s home town that caused her to fall in love with Dala Floda.
Flying on the plane, on her way to Sweden, she just couldn’t wait to get there and hear the familiar, “Hej, Hej!!” and “Hej pa dej!!” from her cousins, aunt and uncle, and grandparents as they arrive. The hugs and love that her extended family shows them is so great that it increases her want to stay forever, but her travels are not over yet, because she knows that she still has the three hour drive from the airport to Dala Floda. On the way there, she stops at a familiar place, a gas station. For some reason, this one gas station is very important to her, and she remembers all of the different times she has stopped to stretched out there, closer now than before to her destination. The familiar ching of the cash register and the smiles on the clerk’s faces warm her like the hot dog she is clutching in her hands, ready to eat.
Finally, when she arrives, she is exhausted. She and her family have been traveling for over twenty-four hours, and she is very sluggish. However, she wills herself to stay up just a little bit longer so that she can greet the rest of her family, and “fika lite” with a midnight snack, before she trudges up the stairs and goes to bed.
In the morning, she slowly opens her eyes to the sights and smells of Sweden, filling her senses with joy and relaxation. She could not be happier. The warm summer sun didn’t get a chance to set for more than an hour the night before, so it has already been up an out, warming the world around her. After eating her bowl of cereal with the fresh “jordgubbar och hallon” (strawberries and raspberries) from the yard outside, she decided that she wanted to go for a swim. So, she called her brothers to see if they would join her, and they agreed whole-heartedly.
Once in their swim wear, and with their towels, the three young adults headed for the lake, which was not even two minutes away from their home. The barefooted people walked slowly down the old, paved road to the lake, passing by the large big-horned sheep on their way. During their short journey, they also saw two small, furry “katter” (cats) playing with each other in the early morning light. Passing by all of the green, flourishing trees on their way, the three people who began the short journey to the lake had become more and more like children, remembering all of the different memories that they have had at this body of water.
Once they arrived at the lake, she took in a deep, slow breath, and let out a long sigh. The clear crystal water was so peaceful at this hour that the water was perfectly still, not a soul in sight to ripple the water. She and her brothers were the only ones who had woken up at that early hour to see the heat of the sun slowly warm up the crisp, cool water of the morning. Taking in another deep breath of the clear air, she memorized the scene around her, focusing on burning it into her mind forever. She knew that one day she wouldn’t return to this peaceful, tranquil place that she loved. She wanted so bad to stay there forever and always experience this type of relaxation and love that she felt when she came to Dala Floda. However, she knew that she would eventually have to go home, back to real life, and back to her senior year in High School. For now though, she figured she could enjoy the time in Sweden that she had while she could. With that knowledge, she took one last look around her at the now rippled water, and followed her brothers into the frigid lake, warming slowly by the bright orange morning sun.

The Great Sand Dunes

Looking back, remembering all of those years in the past, Michelle stared up at the great towering dune that lay before her. The golden yellow sand, she could tell, was slowly warming up in the heat of the morning sun that cast a small shadow before her feet. Michelle gazed over her shoulder to see who had followed her across the small creek, which ran at the foot of the giant dunes. With a small sigh, she realized that no one had followed her yet, and for good reason too. She noticed that she had forgotten to help with carrying down all of the coolers and chairs that the parents used while the kids went up the dune to play. So, she dropped her shoes in the sand, and began the short journey back across the small brook, still cool from the chilling night air. As she walked across, she felt the familiar trickle of water over her feet, and the cold sand, squished beneath her toes. She had to force herself to continue, however, so as not to get lost in the moment of memories and relaxation. So, she trudged, slowly on in the ankle deep water, across the way to all the parked cars.
Now, her hands full of lawn chairs, lunch-filled coolers, and blankets, Michelle made her way back across the creek for the third time. This time however, she was accompanied by all of her family and friends, which made her feel much more comfortable than before. With a party of thirty-nine people, the small stretch of dry sand at the bottom of the monstrous dune became much more crowded than it had been before. Pretty soon it was covered with lawn chairs, umbrellas, blankets, coolers, and lots of assorted sports equipment that had been strewn all across the ground. As Michelle looked around her at the growing clutter, she realized that all of her friends were gone. It wasn’t until she looked up at the mountain of sand however, that she realized they had already begun their long trek up the first dune.
Michelle moved quickly to a cooler, found her water bottle and put it in her Camelback, and then raced up to the slope towards her friends. Once she arrived at the dune, she had to use her hands and feet, crawling because of the steep incline, in order to make better progress. So, Michelle climbed as quickly as possible, hoping to reach her friends before they got too far up the dune themselves. When she finally reached them however, she was exhausted from the sprint up the dune, and needed to take a break with the others. Finally, once she regained her strength, had some water, and spent some time talking with her friends, they continued. They went the whole rest of the way, without stopping once until they got to the very top of the dune, where they all collapsed from exhaustion, sucking in deep breaths of the high altitude air. When they finally stood up however, they realized just how high up they really were. Looking down at the parents far below, they saw the enormity of their accomplishment, and they were ready to tackle the next dune with ease, no matter what. As Michelle gazed around at the beauty of the golden sand around her, with the wind slowly blowing around her ankles, she realized how truly beautiful it was up there in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado. As she glanced around at her friends, she smiled a faint smile, and began heading up the next dune.

Dad

Absence makes the heart grow fonder
I know that to be true
But yet, I feel the same way
When I’m close and hugging you

Your thoughtful words and well-chosen talks
Seem to give us something to say
And though I may be distant to some
They touch my heart in every way

Without you dad, there’d be no me
And we couldn’t share our thoughts
You couldn’t guide me through my life
And I couldn’t love you lots

So thank you for you guidance
Your ever-constant prayer
The love that reaches in me
To let me know you’re there

On your Happy Birthday
Let there be absence not
And if our hearts grow fonder
Make sure it’s by a lot

On Love

Love is such a complicated word, and love is found so little. Love is deep and love is wide, but sometimes love is just a memory. I tell few people that I love them, because I find that love is a hard thing to admit. When even my best of friends tell me that they love me, I find it very difficult to reply in the same, sincere voice. Of course, I have told the members of my family that I love them, and that is not difficult at all because I have said so for as long as I can remember. My parents and my brothers sit at the dinner table talking, as I finish getting ready for practice, and begin to head out the door. Their conversations slowly die as I am heading for the garage, and I yell back towards the lit kitchen, “Bye guys! See you in a bit! Love you!” as a resounding “Love you Shelli! Have fun!” comes back and touches my ears. Then, I know I can go safely and soundly to my practice, and I know I will be missed, getting lots of hugs and love when I return. Love is also what people feel, or think they feel, when they find “that perfect someone”.
For many people, it takes years; sometimes even decades to fall in love, and stay in love with someone who they want to spend the rest of their lives with. On the beach, my father and mother walk slowly in the cool night sand. Dave turns to Lis and says, “I got you something”, and with a grin on his face, Lis begins to search his pockets for the candy bar she thinks she is getting. This ‘game’ that they have often played with each other however, was very different today, for in his sock, Lis found a small box, and inside it, a wedding ring. To her surprise, he got down on one knee, and asked that wonderful question, “Will you marry me?” After dating each other for at least five years, Dave knew that he had made the right decision, and that they would be happy together for the rest of their lives. This love is strong, and this love is true, and their love cannot be broken by anything that comes by, which is why one must be patient in order to reach true love that many desire.
Love is like a punch in the gut that can knock the wind out of you in an instant, and keep you down and out for a long time. However, when you finally get back up again, you realize that love is something that can bring you eternal happiness Whether it is with your family or a spouse, love is eternal, and who you say you love, is very important to know. When you love someone, it can lift you up or take you down. Some loves succeed, and some loves fail, but when people take their time, and realize that the love is true, only then will their love be forever. Life is a very complicated thing, but it can be made a little bit better with the great feeling called love.

Little Rags

The little rags of my heart
The feelings been left behind
The thoughts of my day’s feelings
That often hide from my mind

I am a person of laughter
I always try to use wit
My humor opens new friendships
Though competitive we will not quit

Imagination flows like a river
It falls just as the setting sun
The chirping birds of the morning
Shows when the night is done

The crunching leaves beneath my feet
Warm my soul as I climb
The windy road to the mountains
Today we’ve been keeping good time

There is a compassionate someone in front of me
I cannot yet tell who he is
But with a wink and a smile, and open arms
We embrace, and my heart reaches his

The cool, crisp air of today
Shows there is much we can know
Of the little rags of yesterday
That can become tomorrow’s show

Life

Two Parents Two Brothers
Three Grandparents One Cat
love hope
friendship hugs
Family

A Heart A Brain
A Body A Motive
smiles laughter
humor happiness
Life

Snow Rain
Leaves Summer
sleeping exploring
eating playing
Adventure

Today is the day for inspiration, don’t wait for tomorrow

Left Hand

My left hand cannot be equally compared with my right
And, over the ages of its lack of use, I have hence diverged from using my left at all
I have traveled through many years of school in life
And in the grassy undergrowth of my knowledge
Lies the forgotten and worn hand that is my left
Trodden upon since the day I chose my right
“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both”
And being one student, I chose my right
Leaving my left alone in the distance