The whole world...

The world opened up before her. The view of the mountains and the fields of amber graass waving in the wind left her speechless. She couldn't imagine a view more beautifull than the snowcapped mountains. The wind teased wisps of hair from her braid as she stood beside the Yellowstone River and tried to comprehend the vastness of space before her. She was in sensory overload; the feel of the cool breeze brought goose pimples to her skin, the air smelled fresher, and it tasted sweeter. "How can I live in a place so big and open?" she thought, "And if I return home, how will I ever be content with mere glimpses of the sky?"

The world opened up before her. She now had control of her destiny; not her father, brothers, or husband. They were all dead either killed in battle or struck down by some disease. She could go anywhere she wanted yet she was terrified of taking that first step. Her fear kept her rooted to the porch; she couldn't make lift her feet to take that first step into her new life. Tears silently fell from her eyes and her hands shook.

The world opened up before her. She had received the promotion she had sacrificed so much for. Her windows looked out and down upon the city. She was giddy as a school girl on a first date and just as apprehensive. She knew what this promotion would give her but she was clueless of what it would require of her. Her blue eyes lit up and she smiled as she spoke into the phone, "I got it Daddy, all my hard work paid off."