Over 100 miles beyond the sands of Queensland, Australia, a colorful underwater kingdom sprawls for 1,200 miles: The Great Barrier Reef. 135,000 square miles of aquatic majesty. Home to tens of thousands of species of aquatic life. An underwater world so magnificent that travelers and tourists from the world over, laden in scuba gear and snorkels, delve in to explore its wonders.
Late into the night over cups of tea going cold, I heard her story and surveyed the landscape of her life from the outside listening in. My mind reeled and my heart ached as her words landed in my ears. There were problems I couldn’t fix; solutions I couldn’t provide. She was in a desert season — and I couldn’t change that.
Several months ago, I was asked a very unusual question as a room full of eyes were laid on me, awaiting my answer. “What quality instantly makes you dislike someone?”
The late afternoon sun shone joyfully as I hovered over my garden starter trays, seeds cradled in the palm of my hand. It was one of those birth-of-spring days when summer-lovers like me are unwittingly taken by daydreams of summertime dancing through our minds, seemingly gaining momentum with each passing glitter of sunlight.
In a split second, my lively pace came to a halt when I heard a bloodcurdling shriek come from the valley to my right. The cool air of the early morning stood still as I looked around with wide eyes and paused to listen.
As I hung up the phone, it signified that I’d hung up my running shoes…
One fine day at work, I found myself engaged in an interesting, opinionated, and quite honestly — humorous — conversation…
The garden was brimming with life at every turn. A variety of birds were sweetly singing, their harmonies blending together into a melodious backdrop…
The warm air swished softly as the peaked colors of autumn were illuminated by the mid-afternoon sun…