Thewind blows softly all around me. It's a warm wind, one that makes me glad to beattached to my tree. I enjoy dancing in the sunshine, and I gaze up at the skyabove me. I've made it a habit to watch the clouds blow across the sky. It'samazing how I can just sit and watch everything around me. I find it quite sadthat not everyone can live the casual life.

But I don't think that wouldgo over well with the children below me. They always seem to be moving; they run,scream and absorb the summer air around them. Some kids play baseball, and oncein a while a hard-hit ball will skim over my green surface. Children dig deepholes in the sandbox, and teenagers sit and bask in the shade my friends and Icreate. The boys talk about the soccer game last week and the girls lean againstthe hard bark, sharing secrets and trying to figure out what the boys are reallytalking about.

Days go by. Gradually, the wind grows stiffer and mybeloved sun decides to hide behind the threatening clouds on the horizon. Thenone day my tree lets me go, thanking me for the service I gave her over themonths. I float to the brown grass below, wondering where my vibrant greencoloring disappeared. Kids whom I watched all summer step over me in their tennisshoes, and the teenage boys trip over me as they stretch to catch the footballthat flies over their heads. I see my friends fall around me in all colors. Red,orange, yellow ... even brown. As deep and rich as the colors may be, it makes mesad to know that our time is over. Everything changed on us without warning, andthere's no way we can recapture our summer.

Cold snow falls on us, but wesecretly smile at each other as we lie under the snow. The wind blows all aroundus, though we can't feel it. It changes the seasons without a second thought,getting rid of the deep greens of summer and replacing it with the dull white ofwinter. Still, I have faith that summer will come again. Only this time I'll bethe green grass you sit on, mow and play soccer on. I will see you then.