Bubbles: Through The Looking Glass

Whats in this story

I don’t dance, but I’ll dance with you.

I put my favorite record on and you whirl around.
You can’t speak, but if you did I know what you’d say.

“You breathed life into me. Watch me do the same for you.”

 

I look at you floating about the room with equal parts grace and silliness and suddenly I’m moving too. I’m laughing like a child now.

“It’s funny, you know?” I say between quick breaths, “The spell you cast. You’re so enchanting. You appear, and like a pretty little time machine, you take us back. We’re kids once more. Believers in magic.

And then, if only for a second,we see a reflection of our younger selves in you.”

 

“And what does that reflection look like?” you ask.

“It’s smiling every time.”

“Tell me… why’s that?”

 

“Innocence, I think. You embody it.

You remind us of the immense beauty one can find in simplicity and vulnerability.

And from that innocence blooms a brilliant fearlessness.

We watch you take flight like you’ve got nothing to lose:

A reminder that soaring is worth any risk.

 

As children you were our very first creation.

You were the one who showed us that we could make something beautiful.

‘Just breathe’ you whispered.

We blew out too forcefully. We spat and sputtered.

‘No, patience. Gentleness is key. Try again.’

And with a display of that patience and gentleness, an easy exhale, something lovely was born.

 

You, with your glimmering iridescence.

We thought we could see another world in you.

We didn’t know it then, but it was really just a snapshot you had taken of our glorious youth.

You’re showing it to me now. And what a snapshot it is! It’s the image of me that I like best. You really captured my good side. My freeness.”

“Enough chit-chat. Spin around! Dance with me!” you say.

I twirl and twirl and twirl.

“There it is. You’ve got it!” You’re shouting with excitement now. “There’s that freeness. That girl in the snapshot. You look quite the same.”