The sun rose brilliant in the sky that first morning, its rays bursting through the clouds in all of nature’s glory. The room was still, brimming with boxed potential, with room for curious imaginations to roam free. Outside the blurry windows stood a slice of paradise amidst the bleak cityscape, green pastures sheltered from bitter cement.
One thought fills my essence – I want to stay here forever.
Of course, it can never truly be mine. The room, the pastures, all of it was beyond possession. And yet I had been graced by fate, and was allowed to stay here. As the sun rose and fell, and the Earth moved along its course, the potential of that small room was unleashed, filling our lives with joy and sorrow. But as clear as the first revelation, came the second – It is not right.
It has been said, what if everything you ever wanted isn’t what you actually want? For in this place, everything was ours – friends, family, safety. Home. A place in this world for ourselves, a place of peace from the troubles beyond. And yet, the words came again – It is not right.
In the blink of an eye, the sun rose again, but its rays seemed hollow, its warmth a trick of the mind. The potential of those early days, long-spent it seemed, spoke of another place, far away, where we now belonged. The winds shifted, our course irrevocably altered, fate demanding its due.
Within the week, our course will pull us away from paradise, into the mists of uncertainty and fear, granting only a promise of hope to come. As the view fades, and the island of joy and sorrow recedes, one thought fills my essence anew –
It was meant to last forever.
I am a programmer, writer, and mother. I work as a Senior Software Engineer at Khan Academy. I write and talk about Elm, Vue, Vite, and other tools that I enjoy learning about and using.