Humming softly under her breath, Belle opened the large doors that led down to the mailroom. She happily skipped down the stairs as she took a bite into her apple. The resounding crunch filled the air and she giggled quietly hoping no one had heard her. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flew into her head. At the next landing she hopped up on the rail and executed a perfect flight down the stairs. Grinning, she burst through the next set of doors that opened to the mailboxes. Belle was presently surprised to see two little red pieces of paper signifying two packages. Her mind immediately came up with a hundred different guesses at what the two boxes could be. She hastily through the two red strips down on the counter and told the person at the counter. She watched with growing anticipation as he made his way over to her bin. Bursting with curiosity, she held her breath as he slowly reached in and pulled out two medium sized boxes.

She hastily signed her name, and tucked the boxes under her arm. Bursting out the doors she raced up the stairs, out into the hall, and then another set of stairs into the warm sunlight. Then she went bounding down another set of stairs. As she regained her composure, she took the time to look at the two boxes. Her heart sank. Vitamins. It was then that she had remembered her mom calling to tell her that a shipment of supplements would be coming Belle’s way. That had been a week ago. Sighing, Belle slowed to a normal pace, and as so often was the case when she was disappointed, her mind began to wander to much more fantastical things. It was a matter of mere minutes till she was once again in her room. She thought she might as well open the boxes so she could throw out the cardboard.

Cutting into revealed one large white bottle with a gold label. Amino acid supplements. She tucked the bottle into the black little box she kept on the top shelf. The large white bottle found its way to the large blue bottle and they happily snuggled close. As Belle cut into the next box, to her surprise, little bits of green paper began poking through the cracks. She slowly and carefully cut down the middle. When she pulled back the cardboard flaps she nearly jumped out of her set with excitement.

There, buried under fake grass, were about a dozen Easter eggs, Clementines, a box of goldfish and two brightly wrapped packages. She squealed in delight as she opened first one egg then another. She carefully lifted out the first package so as not to spill the contents of the box. She felt its sides gingerly and tried to guess what it was. A book, that’s for sure. But what book? She tried to think over past conversations she had had with her mother. Perhaps a Tim Keller book? She slowly peeled back the pink and blue and white and yellow striped paper. Again, her heart swelled and a huge smile broke out across her face. The Valley of Vision. It felt like Christmas. Who knew getting a box could bring so much joy to my day.

Thank you so much to my amazing family.

I love you ferociously. 

Have a fantastic Easter. 

Fog slowly crept over the rolling hills and slipped quietly into the sleeping city. Under the darkness it stretched its arms out to embrace one building then another. Through the black and grey streets it meandered, careful to stay away from the bright beacons that lined the asphalt paths. The city lay open and vulnerable to the mysterious creature that slipped soundlessly through. The hungry creature spilled into alleyways, and snuck into all the cracks in its attempt to encompass its meal. As it went on its way, swallowing more and more, it found the small apartment building with the blue door and the brass handle. Taking a detour, it slipped up the cold cement stairs and climbed the wall to the fourth story window closest to the corner. It surrounded the window and slowly peered in through the soft white curtains that dangled daintily around the whitewashed window frame. Just as the fog was about to slip in at the cracks of the tightly locked window, a rosy hand reached out and snatched at it, causing it to disappear on the spot.  Suddenly, beams of golden light began to shoot in from every direction, chasing the fog out of the corners and alleys. Bits and pieces tried to hide behind buildings, but the pale gold streamed in around the buildings and then flew the fog, back to whence it had come.

Rosy dawn was now the ruler of the city, but luckily for the inhabitants, she was a benevolent queen. Rather than creep about the buildings and try to suck them into her waiting clutches, she danced down the streets, between the beacons, and into the alleys. Delighted as always to see the bright little apartment on the corner of 6^th and H street, dawn twirled and skipped merrily right up the stairs. With a great bound she flew up to the fourth story window closest to the corner and hovered about the window. The curtains did not try to block her out as they had done with the fog, but rather brushed eagerly aside and let her pour through and fill the small bedroom with a lovely warm light.

The small twin size bed was pushed right up against the wall, so the now-golden light had to jump over it in order to enter the room. But once she had permeated the small space, she turned her attention to the young girl snuggled deep under the white and turquoise comforter. Laughing a quiet tinkling laugh, the light gently surrounded the girl.

The girl rolled over and faced the wall in protest. At that the light was done playing games and burst out into its full magnitude. The girl rolled onto her back in defeat unable to ignore the somewhat obnoxious presence. With that the rosy creature was satisfied and flew out her window, only to be replaced by the full fledged morning in all it’s radiant glory.

The new day had begun.