A pink box of chocolate

I’m on the road a little bit earlier than usual. It’s February and I am on a mission to find that perfect heart-shaped, pink box of candy for my best friend.

I have never really been a big fan of pink, but this day while I drive along the river, I can’t help but notice the sky.

It’s really cold this morning and the spray from the river has made its way to the trees along its banks. Each and every branch has created a magical fairyland look. The sky at first light has a hint of pink as it reflects off the crystalline branches. All of that white and pink seem to highlight the early morning sky as an eagle glides alongside, keeping up with my Jeep.

The mix of colors and the sight of that bird causes me to pull over to the side of the road for just a moment. My quest for candy can wait for a few minutes while I watch the graceful strength and freedom of the big bird. Watching the river hurry on its way over river ice towards the sea and listening to the sound of the rushing water makes me wonder how anything can be wrong in the world today.

The mesmerizing swirl of that icy water makes me slip back into a moment of my past.

For many years I took this very path with a friend of mine. Often we would share a cup of coffee after putting our kids on the school bus. We were young mothers with even less time than we have today, yet we always found a couple of days a week to steal away from our worlds. Together we would walk along the river and laugh at silly things; how we left a plant sale in the middle to have Chinese food or how we worked all day to bake a perfect apple pie. Sometimes we would cry together as the stress of our lives tried to take over our worlds. Always we knew that we would be more than friends, closer than sisters, as we moved forward towards our individual destinies.

It’s hard to leave the laughter of the past behind. I gather in a breath and watch as the pink of the morning fades away.

The day is leaving now and I am sitting in a hospital room. My friend is curled up in a big white bed holding onto a giant heart-shaped box of chocolates. She offers me one as she goes about squeezing them all. We laugh like children as we toss away the caramels. We both know that her days will be filled with needles and tests. She knows that I will be there for her when she is afraid.

I look out the window for a moment while I search my mind for things to say. I can’t help but notice the hint of pink in the rapidly approaching night sky.

The sun is getting ready to set. She smiles at me while we both look in silence. Her kids are on their way to the room. She takes hold of that heart-shaped box once more. Nothing bad is going to happen today, she says with a smile.

In my heart I know there will be plenty of days ahead to share a box of candy and a sky full of pink.

- Diane Butler