SHORT PROSE

Thank You, My Friend!

Even Winter Can Warm

It was so cold. It was snowing hard and the snowflakes were melting on my eyelashes. The snow had piled up to my knees and was crunching under my boots like it was hurting.

“That’s the way it is for you!”, I told myself, “If I’m cold because of you, let it hurt you too!”.

I was staring straight at the ground because it was slippery and I was careful where I stepped. I didn’t want to fall on the ice — there were so many people. They’d laugh at me, not that it couldn’t happen to them too… From my hat I could barely see the path in front of me and nearly got hit by a branch right in the face and covered all over with snow. I hated winter and all that uncertainty when you’re walking. It’s supposed to be the thing we do almost effortlessly, and this season even that was impossible.

“Why are you taking away my enjoyment of the one thing I feel secure in — having solid ground under my feet? No, you don’t care about that — you’d rather play with people and you decide who gets to fall on the ice and who doesn’t.”

I was tired. I stopped. I turned back and saw the footsteps of another person next to my footsteps. And I realized. I was not alone. A true friend had been walking beside me the whole time, holding my hand to keep me from falling. A friend who had chosen the inhospitable reality of walking with me rather than staying warm at home. I had forgotten about him, giving in to my anger against winter. Forgive me!

On second thought, winter is not such a bad season. Poor snow — it must be hurting to get trampled by all those people. And how nice and quiet it just falls — like snowflakes dancing a ballet in the air and finally bowing, falling on my eyelashes. It was icy, but I could see such whimsical images and paintings on the ice, like I was at a modern art exhibition. So what if it was slippery? I’ve always wanted to learn to skate. And what if I fell? I love making people around me laugh! And even if a branch hits me and sprinkles me with fluffy snowflakes — well done! We’re too gloomy in our black winter clothes anyway!

Thank you, my friend, for reminding me how much beauty there is in everything! I feel safe walking on the ice — once you’re by my side — I have nothing to fear!

This prompt December Photo Prompts- Musers and Scribers (Prompt 5- Snow Storm) is from Susi Moore in The Scriber’s Nook.

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