Springing into Light

It was the first day of spring in New York City. Not the first day of spring as marked on the calendar. But the first day of spring where you step outside and the warmth of the sun radiates through your body. The warm soft breeze brings you that familiar but newfound energy that slipped away in the dark of the winter. There is an abundance of vibrant people out and about sitting in the park, having lunch with a friend, reading a book on the lawn. Young moms with strollers and iced lattes in hand, catching up with friends or lost in their phones. It was the first day of spring when the city felt alive again.

Jess just left her job on West 12th and 5th and had an hour to get to her second gig at a local bar and restaurant. Usually she would take the 2 Train to Chambers and make it with some time to spare, eyes closing from exhaustion. But today was different. She stepped outside and the energy felt liberating. Today she felt more grateful than usual for living in the greatest city in the world. She felt blessed to have two jobs, although just temporary to get her through school, they allowed her to bear the astronomical costs that came along with living there. Jess lived for the warm weather, which served as a natural serotonin booster. Today she decided to take the 40-minute walk instead of the train, planning to stroll through Washington Square Park first then stopping for ice cream, before finally making it down to serve the Tribeca elite until 12 A.M.

As she made her way into the park she turned her music off and removed her headphones. She listened to all of the chitter chatter from the large groups of people enjoying the day. She stopped to watch some street performers, while listening to the classical melody of a saxophone, coming from an old-school New York man playing for a few dollars. She chose a semi-open spot on a bench by the waterfall and in this moment she felt complete peace and comfort. The stress of working two jobs amounting to 12+ hour days, along with the dull but constant pain of law school suddenly faded away. In this moment Jess wasn’t worried about a single thing, except living. Before she knew it she looked at the time and realized she had to go if she wanted to make it to work on time. As she lifted her head to get going an eclectic woman, whose clothing included varying bright colors, contrasting with her long grey hair, was standing right there in front of her smiling. Jess was sure she did not know who this was, but felt a sense of connection somewhere deep inside of her.

“Jess,” the woman said, “I have been waiting for this day for over 7 years now, how are you?” Jess stood there puzzled for a moment; what is going on, she thought. She was torn between feeling frightened that this woman knew her name, and the warm sense of a deeper, yet odd connection that still remained. “I am doing well,” she managed to murmur. The woman just smiled and softly grazed Jess’s arm, “you don’t know who I am, but I know you. And I knew your Dad, too. He was one of the greatest men to walk this Earth.” Now Jess was scared. Who is this woman, how does she know my name, and what does she know about my Dad? Jess’s Dad had passed away suddenly a little more than 7 years ago. With no time to say goodbye and no time to repair past differences, Jess has never been able to overcome this loss. Once her Dad passed, it seemed as though her life was on a constant downward spiral, facing hardship after hardship. Even though things weren’t always great with her Dad alive, she never could manage to get the thought out of her head, of how much better life would be if he were still here.

“I’m sorry, I have to go. I’m late for work.” Jess blurted out. The woman, with her hand still on Jess’s arm, spoke softly:

“I know you are confused, and probably even scared. It’s the number one rule of life - don’t ever talk to strangers – especially if they’re a little odd like me. But I’m here because your Dad asked me to. Before he passed away, he was determined to find a way to give his children a brighter future. He didn’t know when it would happen, but he knew it would be soon. He told me to wait until you were a little older. He asked me to keep an eye on you, and wait until I thought the moment was right. Your Dad loved you and your siblings more than anything in this world. But his disease was one thing he could not overcome. Always remember him for the person he was before the disease took over. And never forget that you and your siblings were his pride and joy.”

And with that the woman handed Jess a little black book. “Please just take this book here, and read it when you have time. Everything will make sense, I promise. I will see you around, Jess.” The woman began to walk away, leaving Jess standing there in Washington Square Park with a little black book in her hand, confused about what to do next. Instead of making her way downtown to work, Jess decided to sit back down. She opened up the book and it read:

“Dear Jess, if you’re reading this I have probably been gone for quite some time now. Probably having left without saying goodbye, without telling you how sorry I am and how much I love you, your brother, and your sister. I want you to know that I tried every day to overcome this thing. But each day became harder and harder, and I was just too weak to do it. It turned me into a different person, a person who I did not want you guys to see. I want you to know that I never stopped caring about you guys. In fact, it was all I could think about. I often wonder how I got so lucky to have 3 incredibly smart kids with great heads on their shoulders. You all are destined to do incredible things - I know it. I’m guessing at this point you have already met Aunt Ola, my great aunt. We became very close during the end of my days; she helped me through a lot, at least as much as she could. I hope you two can get to know each other. I decided to give you this book, and the gift that follows, because I know you will use it for the utmost good. I hope you will use it generously and intelligently; ensuring that everyone is taken care of. I know you are intended to do great things in the world, Jess. Helping people for the better, and making this world a much more bearable place. I’m sorry for all of the struggles that you may endure after I leave, and I hope you can see there is a reason that you were not given this gift earlier. If you have it now, it is because Aunt Olga believes in her heart that you are ready to take it on. I know I will not be disappointed. I love you Jess; please tell your siblings and your mother too."

Jess flipped to the back of the book to find an old white envelope. She opened it up and what she found took her breath away. $20,000.00, along with a second smaller handwritten note.

" Jess, here is the first of many payments you will receive for the remainder of your lifetime. I know it is your dream to start an organization for disadvantaged communities and families struggling with addiction. With this money, your possibilities will be endless. Of course, please do not forget about those closest to you. I know you will share this gift with them too. Since your Dad passed, I have watched you and your family undergo struggle after struggle and trust me, it broke my heart. I wish I could have given you this gift earlier, but please trust that this was all for a reason. I hope this will help to repair the broken pieces left in your heart, even just a little. I will see you around soon. Love, Aunt Ola."

The warm spring breeze swept Jess’s hair in front of her eyes, sticking to the wet tears streaming down her face, which she did not realize until now that she was even crying. She looked back up to the crowds of friends and street performers that she was watching just moments ago. She remained in the same spot as before, and everything appeared unchanged. The only difference is she had just met an Angel on earth that goes by the name of Aunt Ola, and she still hasn’t fully processed the possibility that her life as she knew it could be changed forever. As she read in her letter, the possibilities could be endless..