Fragments Of A Bad Day

 Today didn’t start the way I hoped. I guess this is why some of us dread Mondays. I went to school to submit the final chapter of my project, you know the one that should round everything up and bring me closer to the end. But instead of relief, I was met with harsh words. My supervisor wasn’t in the best mood, he had this meeting with external supervisors and I think something must have happened that pissed him off(typical Monday) so in his frustration, he lashed out. The weight of his voice pressed on me more than I thought it would. When he dismissed me, I walked away carrying not just my manuscript but a heart heavy with sadness.  Tears threatened to spill so I decided I wasn’t going to take the normal route out of school to avoid eyes. I decided to take the less trodden path. This path is lined with tall, almost intimidating trees and shadows overlapping like a curtain. Some say it feels spooky, and most of the bad guys hang around there a lot but I didn’t care. I decided to see it as a sanctuary. A place where silence and nature have a way of piecing broken moments back together.  I paused by one of the trees, wanting to lean against it, to relive the dreadful day, only to find its trunk covered in sharp, spiky bark. It looked unwelcoming, almost like it was saying, don’t lean on me. But instead of pushing me away, its uniqueness pulled me closer. I lifted my phone and took a picture. Somehow, that act felt like reclaiming a little piece of joy for myself, like choosing to see beauty in what could have been just another harsh edge.  A little further along, I noticed two small moths, still in their early stage of life. They had just broken out of their cocoon, their wings tender but alive. I thought about beginnings, how fragile they are, and yet how necessary. I captured them too, like a reminder that growth isn’t always graceful, but it’s always worth noticing.  Then, as if the day wanted to give me one last gift, the sun stretched brighter through the branches, lighting up the sky. The clouds gathered above, soft and fluffy, and in that moment, they formed a shape that looked like love itself. I smiled. Maybe it was a coincidence. Maybe it was a sign. Either way, it felt like a quiet healing.  I went there with a little bit of a heavy heart, but guess what, I walked out lighter. Sometimes nature doesn’t fix everything, but it teaches us to look again. Teaches us to find softness in clouds, strength in trees and hope in the wings of cute little creatures.  >images are mine and were taken by me.