There was something about the green of the forest on either side of me that drained away any bad thoughts I may have harbored. Sometimes I thought I heard the trees whispering to me, "Let go and forget the unpleasantness of the little world of yours. Think good thoughts and be happy". At such times I smiled back at them. Maybe I was a silly teenager, but it worked and I felt at ease again with myself and the rest of the world.

Sometimes though, I felt sad knowing that the trees would be replaced by driveways and fences and bricks,. But today the sun was shining happily. It felt wonderful to see the sun again after three gloomy days. Such days also always dampened my soul.

I had so much happiness within me that I wanted to sing, but this was not the place to make loud noises; the woods surrounding me rather invited me to drink in their stillness.

I slowed as I approached my friend, the old Oak, so I could drink in at leisure her graceful limbs, and the soothing green of her leaves, that sparkled with flecks of sunlight. I visited her often, just like today. Sitting at the base of the trunk I drank in the fragrance of this magic place, hoping that there would be no traffic to disturb my solitude. Was it half an hour that I sat here? I do not know, I only knew that I felt refreshed and ready to tackle whatever the rest of the day might bring me.

By Horst Schneider