He felt its rough bark against his hand, looking up at swaying branches and their leaves.
“You’re tall and strong, just like he was. Will you tell him I miss his strength?”
The water was clear and clean as it ran through his fingers. Cold and renewing, giving life along its path.
“He taught me to drink from streams like yours. Will you tell him I miss his wisdom?”
He bent to hold its delicate pedals on his fingers. Vibrant colors he’d seen before. He looked closer at its pistil, stem, and leaves, appreciating the entire system behind such beauty.
“They see your pedals, but I know you are more than what they see. He told me people are that way, too. Will you tell him I’m beginning to see it now?”
He climbed atop the rock to look down and see the water rushing on all sides.
“You’ve withstood much. Still, I know this stream is wearing you down day after day. He too seemed impenetrable—but sometimes the most powerful ones carry the softest hearts. Will you tell him I’m sorry for the constant wear he endured?”
An acorn fell and rolled near his feet. He scooped it up and studied it as memories rushed into his mind like the wind.
“The wind. Did she cast you from your place? Or did she bring you to my feet to help me see? He carried you in his pocket and found hope in tiny creations like you. He saw what you would become. Will you thank the wind and ask her to tell him I found it and I’m still working on the perspective?”
He placed it in his pocket and a tear rolled down his face. He didn’t wipe it away. The wind against its path on his cheek was a reminder that pain only exists because joy preceded it.
As he made his final ascent. He turned to look over the valley below. He closed his eyes tightly, breathing carefully as he tried to remember each step of the journey. Tighter still, he reached for all the memories. Memories of the times they’d spent laughing. Memories of his selflessness. Memories of sweat and work, and watching him adore his children. Memories of arms that held the kind of hugs that squeezed worries away. Memories of the light he spread. He could see his smile.
He smiled.
Slowly he opened his eyes and the brightness engulfed him. He squinted and looked to the sky above. He thought of Heaven and how lucky they were to have him. He swallowed hard.
“Will you tell him…” he paused. This time he didn’t have to ask aloud. The love was intense, and he knew it carried all the feelings of his soul Heavenward. The tears transformed their meaning as he bowed his head in gratitude. The answer was unmistakable.
Brother, I know.
-hb mercy
(written while on a hike by myself. the photo taken on a family hike, rainbow eucalyptus trees not far from home)
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