SERENE ETERNITY

A SPIRITUAL FANTASY

By Jim Kittelberger

The breeze gently nudges the low hanging leaves hovering over this peaceful place and touches his face like a caress, just tantalizing his nose with its freshness, lingering for a few welcome moments like a teasing vixen before darting away. Perhaps just perhaps, leaving a whispered admonition to enjoy her before she cedes her domain to the lustier season of fall.

One leaf, less robust, less clinging, releases its grip on its summer bough and slowly falls, floating back and forth, seemingly suspended, brushing the marker on its downward spiral before finally coming to rest at its base. Late summer sun glinting through the high branches splashing its light in random arrays, lightly touches the leaf in final farewell.

The man kneels and casually lifts the leaf in his hand, a spontaneous gesture bypassing any reasoning on his part. As he gently holds the leaf, his eyes turn to the aged, weather worn, stone whose countenance has turned from white stone to gray and finally black. The etching is becoming harder to read and he has to look closely. This was the final resting place of a young woman, aged fifteen when she died over a century ago. Lives cut short or ended in infancy were to the man the saddest of all. Not to have had the time to sort it all out, to discover all that life has to offer, both in happiness and sadness. The man in his seventieth year, not young and spry anymore and concerned about his approaching death, began to stiffen in his kneeling position and being completely alone in this place decided to sit down in the warm, sweet-smelling grass and rest his back against the marker for just a few moments.

He sat and allowed his eyes to behold the beauty and serenity of this place and in time he seemed to become as one with the many shades of green upon which he sat. As his senses became more acute to his surroundings, he realized where at first he thought he was alone, he in fact was not, as butterflies of many beautiful colors flew in their round about directions delighting him as they drew close and promised to land upon him, but then drew away. Not only was he not alone, he realized he was being serenaded by the symphony of nature, the birds. Robins, wrens, finches, and cardinals, all contributed to sing music that only God could compose. The rays of the sun that wandered in and out through the leaves overhead seemed to wink at him as if to reassure him that he is never alone, never. His eyes were seeing things he had never seen before as his mind expanded with happiness. The gentle breeze again returned to bath him in the natural fragrance of nature and his mind exploded with excitement. It’s you, isn’t it, he spoke aloud. Yes, the breeze whispered, it is I to bring you reassurance that we never die, not really. Our souls lie not in the ground, but are a part of the living world. We are the wind, sun and the stars. We sleep in the clouds and fly with the eagles. And by his grace, look into the face of eternity and see peace and love stretching forever with your loved ones by your side. The breeze stopped and the man’s face relaxed and an expression of serenity appeared and his eyes reflected his newfound peace. He knew he had been blessed by the knowledge he had been given and would to his last breath share it with all who would listen.