Belong

"Her world collapsed early Sunday morning."

Every once in a while, out of nowhere, Sara would hear these words from an obscure 90's song echoing in her mind.  Belong.  Such a bleak lyric lead her to hope, to dream, and she felt alive and free as she breathed in the crisp spring air. 

The air was singing and the magnolia trees were in full bloom.  Deep pink and white flowers burst forth in the warming sunshine.  Yearning for and basking in the energy from the sun, Sara felt the overwhelming urge to climb the magnolia tree that sprawled to life in front of her as she walked through Heritage Hills Park.  Before she knew it she was entrenched within those branches and the soft petals delicately caressed her cheeks as she climbed. 

There was no late frost for the first time since Sara could remember.  Too often the pedals of the flowering trees were singed by this unwelcome visitor leaving them with gnarled brown edges that withered away in decay.  Not this year, and Sara did not miss the opportunity to embrace the beauty of the season which often can be so easily overlooked.  She let her world collapse into now as she lived for this very moment in time.  She did not look ahead, she did not look behind.  She let every breath be a song.  This breath, this song, belong.