Sharla Feels Pretty Today

Sharla feels pretty today, dainty and girly. Her pink dress is new, it has a built in petticoat. The bodice is lined, and her tanned shoulders like it. She feels as close to beautiful as she ever has. “Do you want to wait until after breakfast?” Grandma asks. “No, I want to do it now, when the sun is coming up.” “Take some flowers then.” Sharla stops by the garden and plucks half a dozen tulips. They are pink like her dress; wet from the dew. She is excited as she comes up the hill of the meadow. It is a gorgeous day; the sun is outstanding. May fifteenth, Grandpa Dick’s birthday! “Happy birthday Grandpa,” she says. The sun sparkles on his tombstone. The mica in it shimmers. She feels him watching her, and she smiles. A slight breeze lifts her hair a bit. She hears his voice in her head. “You have a gorgeous heart!” She will never forget that.