In my daydream was at first a pure black canvas, yet it turned into a rich earth tunnel; far away in the distance was a green light. Every other time there had been none, yet now it was there, bright and clear.
The moon came to the sky as a mother comes to sing a soft lullaby, to ease her children into a star-filled night.
She's only five years old and unaffected by death. A little innocent light with so much joy. But that will soon change and I hate it.
"Hey, why are they burying Aunty Carla? She can't bake those yummy cookies in the ground! Stop!" she screams. The people who weren't already crying allowed tears to drip down their faces. "Stop it!" She screams, tears streaming down her face.
Unexpectedly, Levi bends down and hugs Dina. "Dina, she's going to sleep." Levi whispers, "Don't be so loud or you'll wake her." Dina cuddles Levi and wails. He strokes her hair and her back lovingly. That just overpowers me. I start crying loudly causing a chain reaction in the small group. Soon everyone who loved Carla are sobbing uncontrollably.
I walk up to the makeshift stage and begin my little speech, "Mam was kind and didn't hesitate to help someone in need. Her helpful spirit got her in trouble a few times but I don't think she ever regretted it. I-"I pause clearing my throat from the tears, "I won't ever let her out my heart, she will stay in here in peace. I love you, Mam." I place my hand on my heart. AOT SALUTE. My tears soaking the clothes I'm wearing.
"Don't cry Eren! Aunty Carla is just asleep," she cries trying to make me happier. I give her a sad smile and nod while walking off the 'stage'.
Slowly her coffin gets lowered into the hole. The closest relatives take turns with the spade, covering her inch by inch with dirt.
Bye Mam. I will miss you...
To break me, you must show empathy. Yelling and shouting your frustrations about my lack of work, or need to shape up, won't help your cause. I'll only stand firm in my resolution to not give in to your tempestuous voice. To break me, you must show kindness. If I have a low performance on tests, "Are you okay?" instead of, "STUDY HARDER, YOU IDIOT!" will make me try harder. I want to please those who care. I want those who love me to see me do well. If you love me, and outwardly show it, you will break me.
First I figured out a breakfast that was the right amount of calories for my age, gender and activity level, one that would keep me going until lunchtime, either with or without a small mid-morning snack. I kept the rest of the day as normal until that became routine. Then I changed lunch to something the right amount of calories with good nutrition too, one that kept me going until dinner time. I then kept everything else the same for a few weeks until the new breakfast and lunch were routine. Finally I changed dinner, and then all day long I had the right amount of calories and great nutrition, and all designed by me! It was what I wanted to eat, not some bizarre plan from some glossy magazine. It worked too. They say new routines take three weeks to set in, and changing my diet a meal at a time rather than changing so much at once worked really well. It was the last weight loss program I ever did because I simply kept my new routines unless it was a special occasion or Friday night... we all need our treats now and then. Plus I added in doing YouTube dance videos. Now I love my body. It's easy to feel good in it.
Her hazel eyes were a melt of autumn tones, fending off the winter frost. Freckles, light, delicate; sprinkled softly on her sun-kissed cheeks. Waves of brown hair that refract the sun's gentle light, penetrating it's smooth layers. She was a Goddess on Earth, a blooming flower amongst the leaves.
Sun rays come as nature's easel, giving brilliant colour to what was hidden even under the passing starlit night.
The boy's eyes were green but not the kind of shade that's easy to describe. It was almost like they were both green and yellow at the same time, with blue creeping in around the edges as if it were trying to take over. He blinked and the beauty was momentarily covered by the shield of his eyelashes; naturally long and soft looking - feminine compared to the rest of his well structured features. By the time the boy's eyes opened again, I had still not recovered from his intense stare. It was a stare that communicated the boy's former pain, and his wish for me to let go and to move on. But I could not move on, just as I could not forget those glaring eyes whose light never faded even in death.
The first thing you'd see is a typical honors kid - large dark eyes behind blue rimmed glasses, holding all the bookish knowledge. The girl's curious eyes asking for more, conflicted with the tight smile silently begging to be left alone.
She'd wear her dark straight hair up in a ponytail, with a pink baseball hat. With the pink sports backpack, she'd deceive anyone. But her scrawny figure in an over-sized men's sweatshirt, underneath a denim shirt from Goodwill, with a pair of jeans ripped from overuse - told a different story. So did her punk boots picked from garage sale.
She hid her scars under thick spike bracelets, another piece that did not match with the silver heart locket hanging from an unusually long necklace.
Even with all the pieces roughly glued together, she had yet to find out which was her real face.
Death is the gateway to rebirth, and at someone beloved passes through, we both mourn and celebrate. We fee their loss in our life and community, yet we celebrate all that they achieved in their lifetime for goodness, for love, for the natural world, for humanity. It is a time when we are most aware of how sacred living is and to appreciate the gift all the more.
To help control the pandemic we redesigned the airflow in buildings, we redesigned private and public outdoor spaces. For the airflow we brought in outside air to vents in the floor and matched them with fans in the ceiling to draw the air up and out, back outside. We know that outside air is cleaner, thus this system helps to reduce infection and helps to speed up recovery. Additionally, for seating arrangements, personal and groups, they were enclosed in a sort of petal arrangement, curling as they reached the extractor fans, a sort of mimic of the way air wants to travel in a cyclone. This helped to reduce the impact of airborne transmission too. Plus, the arrangement was scalable, from the micro to the macro. It looked pretty too, as if some wonderful tropical plants had burst through the flooring.
Additionally, at the level of windows, the upper wall could be replaced by a breathable material, one that lets in both light and allows for a modest exchange of air. When this is combined with truly environmentally friendly energy supply, we have a means to help control the pandemic whilst regaining a sense of society and community.