Im up! As wonderful as it would be to stay in bed that is just not an option. The entire planet depends on me doing my job. Im not sure I can call it a job though, I absolutely love what I do. I bring life to the planet….I mean how fantastic it that. As cool as that sounds, its no easy undertaking. There are other deities with responsibilties but none more important than mine. The other deities have an inflated sense of relevance where as my appositness is unequivocal. No one else can do what I do with such ease and amazement. First step is to gather all my supplies. These are carefully collected for the light making process. I have to ensure each ingredient is perfect for its role. My tinder has to be dry and fibrous…..it has to be able to catch a spark without difficulty. The kindling and firewood are quite specific but I know the best spots to find pieces well-suited for this part. I have a few fireboards and bow drills lying around so now I can get started. This is the part of day that I use my innate talent to bring life-giving energy to the planet. My bare hands and gathered materials make coal. At first this step used to take me hours to get the tiniest flicker; but now Ive perfected my craft so well that I can create a spark in minutes. This is of explicit value because the beings on this planet are not patient. They have come to expect their light source everyday on time……no delys. And because I am a bit of a showoff, I like to provide a spectacular show once I get the spark going. How I relish in knowing there are beings waking up extra early just to watch my show. If you ever get a chance to see my morning illustrations-they are nothing short of magnificent.

Everyone is gathered at the front desk listening to the morning brief. Once we hear the workload ahead you can see the energy drain from their faces. That is until…she walks in. She is a little late but noone seems to mind. Their faces light up at the site of her plain, chubby face. Knowing how challenging the day ahead will be the staff is all the sudden optimistic when she arrives. They know that when she is here, she will be working right beside them….always with a funny story and clever problem solving. The effortless way she handles conflict puts everyone at ease. People just love her and I dont know why…..I know why. She is approachable, relatable and non threatening. There is nothing spectacular about her face. Her hair is usually tied up in a neat bun. She is definitely on the overweight end of the spectrum. Her outfits are boring and her shoes have seen better days. Why am I so irritated by her? I am better looking and in much better shape….what is it? She has an unwavering confidence that infects everyone around her. She speaks and you listen; she goes and you follow. People want to be her friend….I want to be her friend. I want some of the beautiful, calm energy she brings. She’s wonderful and I hate her.

He smiled proudly as he held up his shoes. These shoes had his last few weeks engraved on them. Although the color was faded now you could tell that it was once a brillant bright orange. The boisterous sneaker color was a flagrant contrast to his personality yet it matched his commitment to run 100 miles in a month. The tread was barely visible. The dirt, grass and various traces of nature were permanetly tattoed on the shoes. Weather conditions were not a deterrent. Many days of running in treacherous rain, freezing temperatures were evident in the tattered fabric on the top of the sneakers. These shoes are worn, calloused, strong and most importantly beautiful.

Its happening again….no not now. I am celebrating, I am happy. People are congratulating me. This is a joyous occasion, this is not the time for sorrow. I start walking. The people fade. I am alone. Once the sadness emerges, the only thing I can do is let it happen. There is no way around it; I have to go through it. As I sink deeper in the torment- I feel myself shrinking. The world around me grows out of control and my mind is wondering. Does she see me now? Does she still think about me? Im trying not to cry but its useless….the tears flow intensely. Was she happy? Did she have regrets? Im shrinking further. Does she know that I am trying to be fearless? Does she know that I shouldnt be sad? Does she know that I still have things to do? Does she know that many of those things are for her? I keep moving. The shrinking subsides. The tears slow down. Does she remember that time when we couldnt stop laughing? Does she remember when we first heard that song? I smile. The grass and flowers are shrinking now. I am growing. I remember all the good times, all the bad times and everything in between. I hope she is proud of me. I miss you mom.

Maria looked at the room filled with people celebrating the royal wedding….her wedding. It was almost too good…too perfect to be real. She looked at her new husband, the king and thought “I have you right where I want you”. Maria had to hold back her tears. In this moment she could not help but think of her sister, Ana. Ana was a beautiful, carefree young woman with an extrordinary talent for cooking. Ana spent most of her time foraging for different herbs and plants ultimately to test out on my mother and I. Ana took her creations to sell in the central market and she became quite well known. Her culinary talent eventually was noticed by someone in the royall court. Ana was invited to cater one the royall balls. Ana was so excited for the chance to feed members of the royal family that for months she concentrated on creating the perfect menu. On the night of the ball, Ana and I prepped and packaged up all the food and headed to the castle. We were all given special attire to wear that night. This was to be an incredible costume party. The instructions were clear that we were not to look like ourselves….common folk. The ball was just as fantastic as I’d imagined. There were lots of magnificent lords and ladies dressed in the most dazzling costumes. Ana and I had played many games where we pretended to be the fancy people that attended these parties and now we were here. Granted we were invited in a domestic capacity but to us it felt like a dream. Once the crowd thinned out and the night was coming to an end, we started to clean and pack up. I had been so enamored by the festivities that I hadnt….relieved myself in hours. I excuse myself from Ana and head towards the privy. I couldnt have been gone more than 15-20 minutes. As I approach the great hall I hear what sounds like dishes breaking. The closer I get I can hear men whispering and it sounds like they are in a panick. I peak around the doorway not wanting to fully reveal myself and I hold back a scream. I see 3 men standing over her lifeless body. The men still had their masks on so I couldnt tell right away who it was. As I stood there, devastated, one of the men removes his mask. It was the king

Is this wood combined with some sort of stone and glass? I cant tell but the colors and unique blend of materials caught my eye. Upon first glance, it looks like a regular old box; but when I got closer I could see the intricate way the wood trails around the stone and gems; almost like someone was trying to discreetly etch hidden symbols and mesages. The design is so odd and beautiful and eerie all at the same time. That is probably just my overactive imagination; however, I am weirdly drawn to this box. I take my new treasure to the counter for the gentleman to ring me up. The elderly gentleman looks at me from atop of his glasses and then glances at the box. He almost smiles but then quickly hit some cash register keys and says “that’ll be $10 please”. I give him the cash and he gives me the oddest stare. The gentleman remains silent and nods his head as if giving some secret gesture that our transaction is complete. I say “Thank you and have a nice day”, then proceed out of the shop. Its raining and cold outside so I cant wait to get back home. I have the perfect place to display my new $10 gem. The box is absolutley stunning on the fireplace mantle anchored by a few plants…ahhhh its perfect and I feel like it was a steal for only $10. I settle in for the evening and ly down thinking of the usual: did I get all my items from the grocery store? What will I eat tomorrow? Will I find the one? Thankfully those questions fade fast and I find sleep. I hear the crash of thunder and it wakes me up suddenly. I look at the clock and its 0200 am. I try to close my eyes again but there is some sort of faint glow coming from the living room. I think “Did I shut all the lights off or did I leave a candle burning”. I dont think I did but just to be safe, I climb out of bed and walk to the living room. There is no lamp on and no candles lite but when I look at the fireplace mantle, the box is glowing.