Longing

Pearly white crystals flutter gently around the buildings and houses, covering the town in a delicate sheet of snow. The soothing silvery color of the snowflakes contrasts beautifully with the somber blues and greens of the busy streets and malls. Pedestrians scramble across the streets in bustling pods to grab last-minute Christmas presents. Giant evergreen trees, decorated ever so carefully, light up the concrete pathways with multi-colored ornaments, making it almost impossible to feel anything but joy. Cars and buses slide along the icy roads, slipping mindlessly with not a care in the world. In every store there is a different Christmas carol echoing through the racks of clothes and the toy-covered shelves. A luminescent smile spreads across everyone’s face. Anticipation for the blissful holiday to soon arrive once again fills the minds and bodies of every little boy and girl within blocks. Snowmen rest peacefully in what is now a blanket of white, with their scarves and gloves to keep them warm during the chilly winter evening.

My mother’s voice calls to me from across the store, waking me from my reverie, “Come on. We have to go home to prepare Christmas Eve dinner.” I let out a reluctant sigh and take one last glance at the joyful, snowy town. I softly stroke the glass that separates their world from mine, shake the globe lightly, and then hesitantly reposition it back on the shelf. Running to catch up with my mother, I bound out the door and into the blazing California heat.