Framed
sometime during fall 2001.

It was a warm and bright morning, one of those when the sun’s rays seem to cling to the wind. The air was tinted with a faint scent of salt, and the breeze brushed gently over our faces and through our hair. The lazy drift of the nearby sailboats echoed the ambiance of the surroundings, as if the early light hadn’t quite yet awakened most of the world. We sat there at the water’s edge, watching the ripples of water wash over the rocks below and pull at the seaweed living there. To avoid the blinding reflections of light off the surfaces of the docked ships, I kept my gaze low but still observant. The bright colors of the sailboats mingled--apple reds and greens floating by berry blues and lemon yellows--all offset by the lush forest on the other side of the quietly flowing river. All was peaceful and content, just as I was that day, which happened to be one of those when times passes especially slowly and yet you are grateful for it.

Nothing really had to be said because we both knew exactly what we meant just by being in the presence of one another, after being apart for what seemed like so long. Every so often one of us would break the silence with a glance or a smile, each asking and answering the unspoken. I’d looked forward to this feeling of complete happiness that makes nothing else seem to matter, even though I knew it wouldn’t last long in its entirety, and I wasn’t disappointed. I marveled once again at how just being in his company changed everything and painted the world in such vivid colors. Perhaps I was simply able to finally start opening my eyes to see the subtle details and clear contrasts.

The sails moved closer, seeming to merge in the distance, gliding over the sparkling crystal water. He was watching them too, but didn’t often realize that while he was looking in the distance, my eyes were trained on him. Sometimes, however, he would turn and smile at me, shaking his head, as if he was in the same trance that I am so familiar with. I remember hoping that he was, although that sentiment was much more prominent in emotion than any actual contemplation, as my mind was at the time preoccupied with a thousand racing thoughts. But I knew he’d understand me despite my hushed demeanour, since he has always been able to identify and interpret what I cannot bring myself to say (for whatever reason). So, as another breath of the sky swirled around us and the embrace of the sun pulled us closer, time stood so still that you could almost frame it and hang it on a wall. But there was something else there that no description can ever truly capture--love.