Untethered

All my life I have been tethered. To the tree that gave me life. To the park that was my universe.

There were good days filled with sunshine, bright and warm. There were days where all I prayed for was for them to pass. These were dark, rainy, cold, days on which the wind almost seemed to succeed in tearing me away. Eventually they all passed, the good and the bad, and I was still here. My time had still not come.

Time never discriminates. No matter how cruel or how gentle the days, neither stood a chance against its steady trot, never looking back, never hesitating, always moving forward.

I heard stories of other places, near and far. Tales of wonderful sights, terrible fates, daring adventures. And I imagined myself being part of the unknown, the mystery.

I started to feel the change some time ago, the coldness in the air and the shifting of color around me. Changes even in the way I feel. Then, on a crisp Sunday morning in early October, a strong gust of wind took me by surprise and tore me away. In a split second, something happened that could never be undone. I was tethered no more!

Of all the stories I heard about near and far, of other worlds, none were as surprising as my new reality. I am free! My home is anywhere and everywhere. Bonded only to the unpredictable will of the winds that carry me, I feel reborn and energized. Every day bringing new adventures under blue skies.

But I see angry clouds in the distant horizon. New adventures, no doubt. I am alone. This much I know: No matter how dark and angry, they will eventually find tranquility. Time does not discriminate, and it always triumphs. With it, I will see happiness again.