Do You Cherish

The sun was rising over the hill,with a glow of warmth.The birds were singing,the deer bedding down for the day.
A slight breeze blowing through the tree tops,sang the song of a low whisper.
A movement from the cabin above,alerts the rabbits,they scatter towards the brush and trees!The door opens,a large figure appears.A man they call Jim.
He walks through through the doorway,stretching his arms over his head.Enjoying the morning air.
He walks down the mountain to see the city below.The traffic,the people hurrying to get to work!
Nobody stopping to enjoy the new day.
It probably doesn't matter anyway.Seeing all the concrete,wood,steel and asphalt!
As he looks,tears roll down his face.Turning away the tears stopped.
A smile returns to Jim's face,as he looks at the mountain with its trees,streams and animals.
Walking back to the cabin,he gets to the door and stops.His ears perk up,listening to the wind singing its early morning song.
Grabbing his fishing pole,he heads to the creek to catch his breakfast,of mountain trout.
Walking down the path that he is so familiar with,Jim spots an unusual object,laying in a pile of leaves.
Its a briefcase, of beautiful black with gold trim.
Jim being the curious one stopped to take a better look at it.He grabbed it and turned his head from side to side to look around,seeing if anybody was near by.
Seeing nobody Jim heads back to the cabin with briefcase in hand.Opening the door to go inside,Jim slides the briefcase under his bunk.
As he walks out the door to continue his fishing,his thoughts take him to the chore at hand,getting breakfast.
Jim baits up his fishing pole and casts a few times,to catch two nice fish for breakfast.
On the way back to his cabin Jim thinks to himself "I wonder whats in that briefcase"..? Getting to the cabin,he puts the thought of it out of his head and starts to clean his fish.
While Jim was doing his breakfast,his thoughts again were drifting to that briefcase under his bunk.
Even after the dishes were done up and the cleaning of the cabin,he kept thinking,"what could it hold inside".
Going to the bunk,Jim reaches down to grab the briefcase,but hesitates.
Turning around he heads to the fireplace to grab some coffee and pours himself a cup.
Walking outside towards a nearby tree,he thinks about the briefcase.
Whatever is in there,could change my life completely,do I really want that.
Looking down towards the city,Jim sees the hustle of the people,the traffic,noise and houses,houses so close together,they look as one!
Jim's mind clicks to a halt!!! I can't live like that,even if I had all the money in the world!
Walking away,Jim looks towards the the backwoods,"now that's where I want to be and what I want to do"!Seeing the eagles flying so freely,rabbits and other animals without fear,enjoying their days in the woods.
Yes,Jim says "This is what I want"!!!
Without a second thought,Jim goes back to the cabin,grabs the briefcase.He starts walking down the path towards the creek.Coming to the place he found the briefcase.Jim puts it back into the pile of leaves,turning his back to leave,without a second glance.
As his thoughts come to him,the first one was that he loved his life and the way he lived,he smiled.
Back at the cabin Jim starts his daily chores,hauling water,splitting wood and curing meat for his supper.
Later that evening,sitting on a tree stump,Jim looks up towards the sky.The stars were out,ever so bright,ever so plentiful.
The duties of his day were slipping away,making for a new tomorrow.Jim walks back into the cabin,putting lights out and going to bed.
Early the next morning,with the sun warming the air with its first rays,brings light into the cabin.
The door opens and Jim comes out with arms a stretching,smiling for the new day.
Picking up his fishing pole,Jim heads to his favorite creek,walking down the path without even a notice,passes the pile of leaves.
Which stood empty,with a few leaves blowing in the breeze................

Michael VanDyke @ 2012