THE HEALER — Being present

Along the way, she was surprised by sounds and scents she had never noticed before. She could clearly feel the air brushing her wings and, beneath all those sensations, an unfamiliar stillness.

When she reached Ernesto, she realized she had eaten nothing all day. Evening was already falling. She took an apple and held it for a moment before biting into it. It felt cool and firm in her paws; when she tasted it, the juice filled her mouth.

She had never eaten such a sweet apple.

Or perhaps she had never been so present while eating one.

That night, she lay down thinking about the journey. Her excitement returned whenever she imagined what might lie beyond the places she knew; then she looked at the walls of her home and felt a knot in her chest.

How would she tell Ernesto she had to leave?

She dreamed that her friend embraced her with his branches and, for the first time, spoke to her in words.

“Don’t worry about me. We trees of the enchanted regions speak to one another through our roots. I’ll hear news of you, and I’ll be able to send you messages. Every tree that welcomes you will be your home for a while. And my laughter will be there.”

Skyblue nestled against his trunk, trying to remember every detail.

“Where there is love, distance cannot break the bond,” he told her. “We’ll stay connected by those invisible threads that grow from the heart.”