As I was sitting out on the porch last night – bathing in the soft, silver moon light and feeling the late October midnight dew settling on my skin – Zephyrus the West wind swept down by my side and sighed, ever so gentle, ever so forlorn.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“Oh, what should I do, little Cereus,” he said quietly. “I have fallen in love, and yet, it pains me so. I am torn between her happiness and my own.”
“Why is that? Does she not love you?”
“Yes, yes, she does. She tells me this every time we meet, as she dances joyfully in my winds. We talk and talk about everything and nothing at all. We’re so alike and yet different at the same time. She completes me in a way no one else can, and I do the same for her.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Her friends and family,” he sighed again.
“They don’t like you?”
“No, it’s not that. You know my nature, little one. I am the wind. I cannot settle down. I need to travel the world, and I want to bring her with me, but I can’t bear to see her parting with her loved ones. She seems so happy with them.”
“Why, Zephyrus, the solution to your problem is very simple,” I told him. “Since you love her that much, do you not have the confidence that you can make her so happy that she would forget about her family and friends?”
He stirred, sending little whirlwinds flying through the garden. “I… I can. She means everything to me. I would never let her feel troubled or woeful.”
“Well, then, there’s your answer, right?” I smiled.
“Thank you, little Cereus,” he danced around me and gently patted my petals. “I will never forget you.”
“I wish you both the best, and may you always be happy.”
After he left, Moonflower nudged me.
“Why did you tell him to take her away from her family?” She asked “Isn’t it a little unfair to them?”
“All is fair in love and war,” I told her. “Happiness is yours to fight for. If she can be happier with him than she is with them, they should understand that and be happy for her. Also, it’s not like she will be gone forever. They will come back every year.”
“But they will miss her so much.” She frowned slightly.
“Do you think they would rather have her stay and watch her suffer from missing him while he’s gone?”
“No…”
“There you go.” Seeing that she was still bothered by it, I added. “No matter what you do in this world, Moonflower, you can’t make everyone happy. So, you just have to make yourself, and the ones that matter, happy. The rest can go to hell.”
Her already-ghostly-white petals paled.
“Just kidding. We can worry less about the rest. They can just be content. Now go to sleep.”
She sighed once again and closed her petals. As I curled up my own, my mother whispered, “What about your love for Zephyrus, sweetie? Is it really alright?”
“Yes, mother. Everything will be just fine,” I said as a couple dew drops rolled down my leaves. It sure had been feeling more and more like winter each night.
——————–
Image Source: Google
P.S: I apologize for the lack of posts recently. Work and life have been quite hectic for me as new things have started. I will try my best to write more often, and I am grateful for all of your support 🙂 Stay tuned!
Helena Chou 