dolphins
my mother and i love the ocean; the salt satiates my mind instead of the thoughts i let consume me. one time, when i was little, she took me to a pier, and we spontaneously got on a cruise just to get closer to the sea. but no matter what i did that brisk winter's day, an uncanny looming sensation would not leave my fragile mind. at the tender age of 13, i realised that a fear of death prevents the living from feeling alive. to me, it was a persistent stench that hung in the air. sometimes it felt like the nagging thought that someone is behind you when you walk alone. you start to wonder what the path of life should look like, and if stumbling through it was the intended design. hand in hand with my mother, she pulled me towards the worn banister railing of the ship. the wood bended in unnatural curves, as many an eager eye had yearned for a sight of something rare. she enlightened me as she pointed to the dolphins, as if her instincts whispered that they would be there. "when you feel scared about life, think about this cruise. when we left the pier, you never thought about the end of the journey right? you only thought about the dolphins. their elegance, grace and how beautifully they swim in the water. i bet you even wished them to gleam hello to you!" my mother then got down on my level and swept me into her gentle, maternal wings. "life's meaning is like the dolphins. you'll miss the moments if you keep thinking about the end."
