Glitter

Glitter.

A young girl paints a picture of dark grey clouds.
Her teacher sees she's not using colour and walks over to her.
"Why is you're picture so dark?" asks the teacher.
"That's the clouds" explains the girl.
"But they cover the whole page." The teacher didn't understand
"The painting is supposed to represent life. So why have you painted clouds."
"Because life can be like this sometimes. Grey clouds cover any dreams you once had and you can't find you're way."
The teacher was moved. "But," The girl continued, "The picture is incomplete. I don't think it will ever be finished."
"Why not"
"I need to add the glitter. There is always some glitter to life."
The teacher sits by her and watches the girl place small amounts of glue and glitter in the gaps between the clouds.
"What does the glitter mean?"
"The glitter is the hopes and dreams you thought were lost.There's always some glitter there you just have to find it. Sometimes life works in other ways. You always start with a blank page. You may add glitter or clouds then the glitter or clouds may be covered by the opposite of them." She demonstates on a new page.
One page had glitter,glued down, then clouds and the page she started on remained the same.
"The glitter, the hope, may be covered by dark clouds. The clouds may be berried in glitter." Using no glue on the first picture and some on the other, she pours the pot of glitter over both the pictures.
"Now you've made a mess" Says the teacher slightly annoyed.
"Is that what you can see? look closer."
The teacher looks and obviously sees an awfull lot of glitter.
"Does this mean the people are happy? Their dreams come true?" Asked the teacher.
"Can you see the clouds?"
The teacher looked closer and sure enough the clouds were still there slightly covered by all the glitter.
"Behind every smile there could be pain. Someone can layer their life in glitter. The clouds are still there and..." The girl picks up the paper and shakes off the glitter. "The glitter can go as easily as it came. The happy can become sad but this also means the lost can be found."

The Teacher cried.

"Have you seen pain?" Asked the girl.
"Don't worry, we all have or all will."
The girl sweeps some glitter into an empty pot.
"Take some glitter. Find you're dreams again."