I Stood Barefoot in the Backyard at Dawn

Dear Delyara, The grass was so cold it shocked me awake. I had gone out to bring the trash can in, and for some reason I stepped off the patio and just stood there barefoot in the grass while the sky was still gray-blue and the whole neighborhood felt like it was holding its breath before the day began. No one needed anything yet. My phone was inside. My coffee hadn’t been made. The kids were still asleep. For maybe forty-five seconds, I belonged to nothing but my own skin and the morning air. I can’t explain why that felt so emotional. Maybe because I’ve been touched by responsibility more than by weather lately. Maybe because my body needed one honest sensation before it had to resume being useful. Whatever it was, it helped. And I’ve thought about it every morning since.