She’s locked away in her own prison. Her butterfly wings are broken, tattered, ripped, and worn. She drags her chains to the smallest window in her room. The little patches of blue sky and white puffy clouds got her through some of her darkest days and nights.

She had faith she’d be on the outside, flying and soaring in that same beautiful blue sky one day soon. But for now, this little girl focused on all the animals and other shapes she could see in the clouds.

At first, she glanced at the clouds and saw an angel who covered most of the sky. Was she a sign? Then a cloud that looked just like a teddy bear. Some time passed, and the clouds shifted. Now they looked like birds and many of her favorite flowers, like roses and peonies. They appeared even more beautiful with the sunlight glistening through them.

She was so relaxed that she laid down in the grass and drifted off to sleep. When she awoke, there wasn’t a single cloud in the sky. She wondered why, but she also learned to live in the moment; thus, she appreciated the different hues of blue covering the sky. They reminded her of lakes and oceans, and oh my goodness, she could go on forever.