The Explorer

She watched as the sand slid with a hiss through the sieve. Her eyes followed the grains, but her mind moved beyond the small pieces and delved into the bigger things, the ones she thought lay ahead. The sieve emptied, leaving nothing notable behind: a small pebble, a leaf. Carefully, she added the next allotment of sand to the sieve followed the soft hiss to the future once again.

She'd studied the terrain and knew it to be rich in possibilities. There was nothing absolute, only educated guesses, but again and again they lead her to believe that it was the right place to be. It would mean giving up on her dream of exploring the sands of Egypt. It would mean chasing a dream that included long days under a hot sun for alternative purposes; tedious tasks; isolation; and love.

Love was the true find. She wouldn't find it in the sands of Egypt or the tropical forests of Brazil. She may be lucky enough to find relics or bones, but she couldn't find the love of a man. At least, not the same man. She could find a man's love, but would she ever again be offered vacations on the coast, the opportunity to do those daily tasks of mother's, the worry and frustration of dealing with a family larger than she'd ever known? The love and life that this one man could offer her?

The sand stopped hissing. The sieve held a small sliver of an ancient pot. Her heart fluttered at the sight. It was beautiful. Quickly she logged it's find, the first entry in a week's time, and then added more sand. As the hissing began, she looked at the sliver and realized that her love for exploration and archeology were a sliver in comparison for her desire for that bigger find: love.

*** Daily Writing Practice ***