The ice-frosted grass glistens in the soft light of dawn. Glassy beads of dew bend the slender, white blades—bowing, as it seems, to hail the morning. Thrills of anticipation ring in my chest. I close my eyes, imagining the first step to mar the pure whiteness; the delicious, crisp odor of the air stinging my lungs; the satisfying crunch of ice as it crumbles beneath my feet. Shivers of delight course through my veins.

I force my lids to lift.

The grass glistens. Beads of dew bend the slender, white stems, bowing, as it seems, to greet the morning. Thrills of anticipation ring in my chest. I close my eyes, imagining the first step to mar the pure whiteness; the delicious, crisp odor of the air stinging my lungs; the satisfying crunch of ice as it crumbles beneath my feet. Shivers of delight course through my veins.

I force my lids to lift.

Changes are everything.

2011 was moving.

2011 was trying to fit in. And it didn't work.

2011 was becoming a teen.

2011 was overcoming crushes and figuring out that it’s worthless to spend time over them.

2011 was leaving youth group.

2012 has been frustrating.

2012 has been exploring:

The work world.

Myself. I have now got a vague grasp on who I want to be, and whose I am.

The Bible.

2012 has been learning how to draw…with good results.

2012 was going to a new youth group.

I watched the moon. I watched it wax and wane
I watched it take on different shapes.
I watched it thin, I watched it grow,
and somehow it felt good to know
Every night is not the same.
The weather and the seasons change.

They measure the tides that go in and out
they know how to predict the clouds.
There are scientific names for phases,
a term for each way the moon looks and changes.

They name the waters, they name the stars
they view the world from inside their cars.

Thirteen years later.

Chapter the Eleventh