Foreigner of Reality

11

A silent leaf fell from the tree, as the sun began to set upon the Colorado mountains. The leaf was a beautiful golden red color, with just the right amount of crunch. As the gentle, cool fall breeze blew through my hair, I crumbled up the leaf and threw it into the wind. As it slowly soared into the night sky, I took a breath of the fresh air, it smelt distinctly of rain. I dug my toes into the wet grass, and I smiled. The sky had turned from a blue, to the same color as the leaf, to a soft lavender. In the east, the stars began to peek out, as if to say goodnight to the sun. Very soon the slight warmth of fall left with the sun, the cold winter air came in. I was only wearing a light sweatshirt and leggings, but I didn't care. I laid back onto the wet grass slowly soaking my clothes, but I didn't care. I watched as night slowly took over day, as the sky fell from the lavender to a dark blue, to nearly a black. I thanked god once again that I didn't live in the city, as I could see the milky way slowly peek through the remainder of the clouds. I started counting the stars. When the sun was still falling from the horizon, the counting was easy, but as it got darker the more difficult it became. I then began to compare the stars to people. When you first meet the night sky, same as a person, they seem to be very bland and empty. When you first meet someone, you don't see their background, their history, their flaws, or their quirks. You only see so little. But as the night gets darker, and you get to know them better, you begin to love every little thing about them. Each star represents a memory they tell you, every experience you have together, every 2am cry. And you love them for every "flaw", "imperfection", and "quirk" they have because to you, they aren't faults. Those flaws, imperfections, and quirks make them who they are and you love them for every little corner of themselves because they are beautiful. You wouldn't want them any other way because then they wouldn't be themselves. Hours pass and eventually I get cold so I get up from the soggy grass and I looked up at the night sky. From the hours I spent in awe of her beauty, I learned to love her. But it was my time to leave, just as she would in the morning. I say goodnight to the night sky, knowing I would never meet her just like how she was that night ever again. And yet every night when I look up to the night sky, I stare for hours, and I learn to love her all over again.