A beautiful day

It started out as a beautiful day, a day that, for some reason, promised it would give me the world and more. There were some distant clouds, but they did not bother me, they only emphasized the intensity of the blue sky and the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe, they only highlighted the searing sun above me. I imagined myself floating on this crystal clear lake, warmed by the sun and cooled by fathomless depths.

A glorious day

But then it all changed when I got word from across the ocean. Bad news. Not bad news as in death or doom, but bad news as in you just gave birth to a child and it is a beautiful child, just as beautiful as this day on the lake. Deep down in your heart you know – of course you know – it is not perfect, but you are convinced that in time, with the right love and grooming it will grow into a beautiful being, like this happy boy on this glorious day at Dollar Point. And then some people come by to admire your child, but they do not see the promise. They see the ears sticking out, they point out the undefined color of the eyes, and they shatter your dream.

I found myself back floating on the lake. Dark clouds gathered quickly and my heart turned to lead, too heavy for the water surface to carry me. I sank. The water surface closed above me and changed the searing sun into an icy cold moon. The fathomless depths reached out and pulled me down. A cutthroat nibbled my toe.
Was it a cutthroat?
Whatever it was, it jolted me awake. I turned and dove up, breaking through the surface, remembering how beautiful and glorious and inspirational a sudden thunderstorm could be. I dove up knowing that nothing or no one could shatter my dreams.

A thunderstorm building up