The old man steadily plods along. His back is bent, his sight dim,
his hair grey.
Each step takes effort as he clutches tightly the cane that steadies
him. His feet hurt and his joints ache, yet no complaint is spoken by
his lips. His breath rattles in his throat and his stomach groans.

     The old man stops and his eyes look upward to the sky. He sees the
blue expanse that has beckoned and inspired him since his youth, since
as long as he can remember. The sun feels warm upon his face as he shuts
his eyes and remembers a memory that is so old that it seems like a
dream that never really happened. And in his heart, a flame begins to
flicker.

     The flame in his heart is fed by a memory, the memory of a young
woman’s smile. He remembers her dark eyes and hair. He remembers the
breadth of her shoulders, her lithe, trim legs, the way she carried
herself. But most of all, he remembers her smile, the smile that filled
his heart with wonder and his mind with delight.

     A warmth comes over the old man. Strength, vitality begin to gush
through his veins. His step gains a spring to it. His stride lengthens.
His shoulders square themselves with his head lifted high. A song comes
to his lips as his face breaks out in a broad grin. He throws his hat
into the air and yells like a banshee with joy.

     He stops to step upon a log, dancing a jig from one end to the
other and back again. He stoops to pluck a handful of wild flowers and
breathes deeply their sweet fragrance. Noticing a nest in a nearby tree,
he stops to watch a young bird try to fly for the first time. It falls
haplessly to the ground, so he gently picks it up and places it back in
its nest. After more effort the small creature flutters high into the
air and out of sight.

     Passing by a clear pond, he stops to skip some flat stones across
the shiny surface.
He takes off his shoes and socks, rolls up his pant legs and wades into
the cool water as a flock of ducks noisily scold him. Slipping upon a
slippery rock, he loses his balance and falls backward into the water
with a splash, while chuckling to himself. Soon he is back on his way.

     The old man’s gnarled hand reaches for the door to his modest home.
Odd. His way home seemed to take no time at all today and the details
passed in a blur. It even seemed enjoyable. What is that tugging upon
his thoughts? Glancing up at the blue sky,  the smile that charmed him
in his youth once more passes before his eyes, before fleeing from his
thoughts into the blessed realm of happy memories.