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.
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