Honors all living, so loved

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein

Soon after dawn, we all unsettled our hushed bodies and allowed ourselves to breathe -- not just breathe, but open the floodgates of our lungs and allow our breath to become music.The noises outside of our metropolis subsided as the living fell into deep slumbers, and we waited with our hopes high. We never had very much company. As the moon rose, we listened patiently for the lovely hum of a girl, and the dragging silence of a blanket against our thick, warm grass and smooth rocks. She lived outside our area and unlike any other, she listened to us, always acknowledging our presence.

In return, we gave our advice. The soft girl first laid down her quilted blanket. She then rested, relaxing her body against nature's provided therapeutic mattress -- grass. To comfort us all and welcome herself to the forest, she talked to us about the things we could not do. Often she spoke of her desire to nurse the sick around the world, and become someone who instinctively and methodically could lend a hand to the injured. Though the uncertainty made her eyes heavy due to the possibility of burden, she never really gave that idea up.

As she grew older, high school compelled her to further her education, and we knew that was the best thing she could do to succeed; and she would. Naturally, she chose the University of Arkansas to experience more of the scenery that NWA has to offer. Decades of dreams and horrors have swept past us, and we shared what we knew inside because we trusted she had the gift of ethics and loyalty without the gift of time. Success is coached to all brains, but she knew as much as we did; it boiled down to a brave optimism. This girl came to us seeking understanding, and she always left with vigorous unity with the universe and a sense of social prosperity.

After reaching out to us, she finally brought her college acceptance letter. Her delight was heavy enough for us to retain long enough to feel her presence with us until she returned again, for she was leaving for college soon. I think that is something we all honored her for; she, unlike us, had the ability to walk, yet instead ran after what she desired. She loved everything that was living and in that, she was loved.

This girl is me, Lindsey.

•••

Editor's note: The essay was submitted with the application for the Community Scholarship.

Community on 05/20/2015