Unexpected Insight

Her wrinkled hand brought another stale cracker to her thin lips as I was walking past. My eyes were drawn to her laugh lines when they crinkled as her mouth formed a timid smile. Without a word spoken, I found a seat next to her on the bench, which was the present home of her belongings. I introduced myself and asked if she wanted company. Her aged eyes found a light that I believed lived within her many years. The wind caught her white hair as the door of communication swung open. To this day, I cannot recall a time that was as easy to block all surroundings and trivial images to concentrate on the tales a stranger could so vividly portray.

The sun shined endlessly that day, captuing the enlightment she would come to bestow. As she told me stories of her life, I noticed the remains of crackers wedged between her teeth. She had no worries, only wisdom. Her fragile arms moved with full animation as each life experience fed her enthusiasm. I drank in her charisma. I learned about life, values, morals, and the wonderful ability to have one's individual choices. Within the two hours in the stranger's world she morphed in a prophet. A sage with endless smiles.

Love had failed her on numerous occassion, yet she loved herself. After about an hour of conversation past, the lady stopped talking for a few moments. I watched intently as her eyes closed in thought briefly and took in exhilerating deep breaths. Her gray eyes opened once again and she focused them on mine. That moment was life altering. With no reason or explaination, I felt the moisture of my tears trace my cheek.

A gentle hand grazed across my face and wiped away any sadness I may have felt for her. She told me to each day to choose to smile. Each day to believe in your own convictions. Each morning to decide it is my day to deserve happiness. With all the controversies in our world, a smile can brief, a brief and hopeful sense of being content with everything finally making sense and seeing tomorrow's possibilities.

Time came to part our own ways. I hugged her gratefully and inhaled the new found clarity. I walked back down along the river to my car. I looked back over my shoulders to wave a final goodbye. She was gone. I allowed my thoughts to widen and soaked up her insights. To this day I return to the same bench, even just to remind myself that the routine day to day matters lock us inside misery if we let it. Smile to another. Be interested in more than your own worries. You may meet your angel with eyes of a comforting shoulder you didn't even realize you needed.