It's been a year. Imagine yourself, a classy, elegant lady, sitting quietly in the front of a classic convertible with a bench seat, being driven by a new handsome companion through the Santa Cruz mountains under blankets of trees, heading towards the coast. You've got a cute little sundress on, kept warm by a fitted little jacket, your carefully coiffed hair kept neatly in place by a silk scarf from a distant land, a precious souvenir brought home safe by someone you once loved.
You feel stifled, and roll the window down to get some fresh air, but find that's not enough. You push the button to put the top down just as your companion turns out of the trees and onto Hwy 1, the Pacific ahead in full view. You tug off your jacket. You climb onto the back of the bench seat and sit, delicately yet confidently perched by graceful balance and strength. As the car winds along the coast, you take in the awesome transparency and roar of the huge crashing waves, the smell of the salty air. Your companion laughs with you. You slip the scarf off your head, shake out your hair, throw your head back and open your arms wide to feel the warmth of the sun and the ocean air curse over your entire body. You gently wave the scarf and its dainty sequined edge in the air like a flag of freedom, its kaleidoscope of colors and sparkles shining in the sun, shadowing your view of the sun's rays for just a moment... and then your fingertips purposefully separate, and you let it go...
Instead of giving you that description, if you were to ask me how I feel today, I'd probably just say, "A lot better, thanks!" There's always more under the surface in those pleasant responses... :)
