In the rugged mountains somewhere the wind is lashing through the air, punishing all those caught in it’s wrath. The snow is chaotic and blinding, preventing many from finding their way. The air is brutally cold, freezing everything in place.
I am lost out here. I am cold. I am hungry. I can take no more. I am ready to sit down where I am and cross into the underworld. I can go no further. I sit down and exhale deeply. I can see my breath, but it is quickly lost in the fury of the wind and snow. Vanishing quickly, letting me know that I too will share the same fate if I sit here any longer.
And then I see it. A light. Is this the light at the end of the tunnel? Is this really happening to me? I stare and it stares back. Minutes go by, maybe hours. The light has a tantalizing effect.
I finally realize that I am not entering the world of the departed spirits just yet. This light is in this waking world. With all of my strength I stand. I hurt, I struggle, I ache, but I walk. One step at a time, the first step is the hardest.
The light get’s closer, I begin to understand what I am seeing. The light is the glow of a fire inside of a cabin. Oh what I would give to feel the warmth of that fire. Oh how I yearn for it.
Step….step….step. I can’t make it. Before I collapse into the snow, in the distance I see a door open and the light shines out like a lone firefly in the darkness of night. I see an angel and I smile. She is beautiful. Surely I must be crossing into the netherworld now. This is my last memory before I fade into darkness.
Warmth. I feel so warm. I must be in heaven. I hear the crackling of a fire. I never thought the simplest thing could sound so beautiful, like hearing Beethoven’s moonlight sonata for the very first time. I begin to sob. I open my eyes, and there she is, the angel from my nightmare.
“Am I in heaven?”
My angel laughs and gives me a cup of hot cocoa. “Rest, everything is going to be ok.”
And for the first time in all of my life — I believe her.
You see my life is chaotic like a blizzard. People and things have tried to hold me back like the brutal wind and life has sapped my energy and strength like the blistering cold. I have been tired and hungry to the point where I have felt like I couldn’t take another step.
But you are my angel. When my world around me collapses and I can go no further, you give me the strength I need to carry on. And when I have given it my everything and collapse you pick me up and drag me to safety. You have saved my life and given me a reason to live. And when I wake up next to you every morning the warmth I feel is just as amazing as this fire.
When you hold my hand I realize that it’s the simple things in life that really matter. It doesn’t matter what I do or what I have, what matters is who I share my life with. Together we can do anything, but without you I am nothing. As I’ve always said, love is when you care about someone else more than you care about yourself. I just wanted to say thank you.
You may be wondering where the cocoa comes into play. It doesn’t, but who the fuck doesn’t love a cup of hot cocoa after being out in the cold?
Thank you for being part of my life.
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