Life's Journey

When I was in Sioux Falls last month I went to see my sister's classroom.  As I was walking around her room and taking in the life of a gifted student, I noticed one thing.  It was a piece of old, yellow newspaper, an article snipped from a paper that gives us the news of everyday life, but at the end of the article was the name that is oh so familiar to my eyes, Jera Ahrens.  My sister, when did my sister write an article that was published in a newspaper, and as I began reading it, I realized that I had seen this poem before, but had long forgotten about it.  I snapped a picture of it secretly with my phone so that I was to blog about the imagination of my older sister.

Life's Journey

I am a graceful run on a warm spring day through the neighborhood.  The stress melting away with every pounding footstep.

I am a giraffe who reaches its long neck to way from the best leaves at the top of the tree.  The stretch sometimes a struggle, but always worth the reach to dine from the top. 

I am a shiny and sleek black 330i BMW with chrome wheels gliding through the city.  Those silent wheels turning as I make my wayward way through the world.

I am the round kitchen table at which my family prays and converses.  A place where daily events, laughs, and tears are shared with those I love the most. 

I am a salad full of ingredients that are all mixed up.  Emotions that are tossed about by life's defining moments.  

I am a piano pounding out life's song while making a beautiful noise.  A noise sometimes quiet and pleasing...sometimes loud and brash.

I am rain washing away the bitterness of the day and leaving the world refreshed for a new tomorrow.  The anxiety of the day cleansed and a fresh start lying at the doorstep.

I am an oak holding strong through life's whirlwind of happenings.  I lean toward the sun looking for warmth upon my face.  

I am the hope hiding behind my brown eyes.  The hope that believes in the end good will trump evil.

I am...me.

If I remember right, I believe that Jera wrote this poem as an assignment when she was in grad school.  When I reread it that day that I was standing in her classroom and load of emotion came over me.  I was proud...proud that my sister has an imagination beyond anything that I have ever imagined.  I was touched...touched that this poem spoke to my heart.  I was in awe...in awe that my sister put all her emotions into this poem for the world to see.  I was in love...in love with the fact that the person that wrote this poem is one that I have always looked up too and has taught me lessons in life that I will never forget!  

Jera, you are one that I will never see as anything less than amazing!  You have been through life's troubles, but never once have you wavering to be someone less than you aspired to be.  For that, I look up to you and think about you when I have tough decisions to make that might make my life a little difficult for the time being.  We are sister's by chance and a chance that I am so glad I was put on earth to take!  I love you!