In Which Ashley Felt Very Blessed

When asked what her plans were for her birthday, she replied with satisfaction concerning her intent to transcend to the state of hermit. Surprisingly, this was met with some surprised disbelief. Was she not lonely all of the time, anyway? Was she not already separated from all of the comforts she was used to in her daily life? Was she not more distressed, or at the least morose, to imagine her one special day without these usual supports? How could she think of depriving herself from seeking companionship in the few acquaintances she had here? To answer shortly: she was selfish; or at the very least indulgent. She did not feel the numb hands of loneliness wringing her, nor was she cut off from the comforts of home entirely. And besides, one who celebrates their Un-Birthday on a healthy, regular basis need not feel the sharp disappointment should their “one” special day go awry. She would own that there were few better excuses to be so indulgent as calling upon the “Birthday” Card, but we cannot expect a natural introvert to exert herself in company all of the time. 

In fact, she was sociable all day on the sixth and celebrated for herself the day before. After entertaining the luxury of staying in bed and dozing the morning away, she went about her “morning” at a rare leisurely pace. One order of business she attempted was to pick up a package from the Post Office that had arrived while she was at school the day before, yet it seems she would be obliged to wait as it is closed both Saturday and Sunday. With little more than bemused anticipation, she returned home to prepare for the day. Her mission was simple, yet of the upmost importance to her: to find a place in the forest to read her new book “North and South”, to drink earl grey tea, to eat a peanut butter sandwich and an apple, and to leave an egg for a fox. To put it succinctly she intended to fulfill her own version of “These are a few of my Favorite Things”. With neck and head scarf alike donned, she set off in search of a rabbit-hole to a world of her own.

The bridge to somewhere...

Desperately wanting to climb...

Perfect cloudy day in the forest

The Way Is Shut....

A forest gift

There's a happy fox somewhere...

going further

Bridging of worlds

Reaching through the centuries

( I should be more scared of this...)

(...seriously. This screams "run away"...)

(but a cool respite is more welcome)

(just my borrowed little corner of the world)

clouds among the mountains

(as close to a 'selfie' as I'm getting...)

Perhaps a modern rabbit hole...

painted silhouettes 

 Later that evening, feeling quite satisfied in her adventure, she was content to while away the hours lazily before returning to sleep. And yet most astonishingly, past the hour of six she was startled by the ringing of the bell. Dashing to the door she found the postman apologizing for missing her earlier (as if it were his fault) and depositing the package. Her father had made it just in time, after all. 

Thanks Dad <3

(To be fair, Mom & Gramma's came a week before)

The next day she encountered everyone with a light heart and never felt their company to be the least taxing. Church in the morning with people possessing beautiful hearts for God, kaiten zushi and pumpkin ice cream with Y-san for lunch, and back to the missionaries’ house to help prepare for the visiting pastor’s birthday surprise dinner. That’s right. It was his Birthday as well, and she was bemused to frost and cut and stir and cook in the kitchen without uttering a word of the little coincidence. However, she had shared the fact with the pastor in the morning as an anecdote, not knowing at the time the plans in place for his surprise. And so after he had blown out the candles on the kiwi and peach chiffon cake she had helped decorate, he let the metaphorical cat out of the bag. And so after re-lighting the candles and repeating the process for her, they sat down to a delicious feast she had the satisfaction of having helped prepare. They even gave her the flower crown they placed on her had for the occasion~

(*shamelessly becomes a hypocrite...*)