Gerade habe ich noch einmal meinen Essay gelesen, den ich kürzlich für ein Seminar schreiben musste. Hat mich wieder daran erinnert, dass das Leben so schön ist. Auch wenn eine Zeit lang ziemlich viel Mist passiert.

Hier ist der Essay für alle.


A place of comfort

The last time I was resting here I had to digest the fact that my whole life had changed. It was exactly this place, this little pond on campus which made me become aware that a few words can lead you to query your entire life.

Now – two years later - I am back, lying on the ground near the waterside, my face turned towards the sun. Although my eyes are shut I am overwhelmed by the atmosphere surrounding me and by the thoughts it arouses once again. The pleasant smell of recently mowed grass, already warmed up by the morning sun, reaches my nose. This distinctive odour combined with the fresh breeze flowing over my body, the hum of one or two bees nearby, the singing of divers birds and the distant chat and laughter of other people is an unmistakable sign of spring making me fall in love with life over and over again.

I take a deep breath, open my eyes and the bright sunlight makes me squint. As I sit up I perceive the beauty of this place at a glance. In a small valley of hummocks the surface of the pond spreads like a mirror, reflecting the white clouds in the sky. Now and then this unspoilt reflection is disfigured by a breath of wind rippling the surface of the water or by a duck slowly crossing the pond.

One of the ducks reaches a small rock jutting out of the water and for a little moment it disturbs this peaceful place by flapping upon this rock, quacking excitedly, splashing water and thus destroying a part of the cloud’s reflection completely.
Nothing is perfect. And I’ve learned that this is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, this is the charm which makes life so beautiful and worth living.

A woman’s loud laughter leads me to lay my eyes on the small hammock on the other side of the pond. Five young people are sitting and lying in the short grass, giggling and laughing out loud, books and papers spread around them. In the background the large university buildings rise in an unreal manner, contrasting with the idyllic picture in front of my eyes.

It is easy to remember when I took in this comforting place that day two years ago. Back then I was entirely engulfed by the news I had received a few days before. Those news made me realise that until that point I had not appreciated life the way I should have.

Today I look at the same blooming bushes, growing next to the waterside, as I did that day and again I comprehend. Just as this pond freezes over and as these bushes lose their leaves in winter, people go through hopeless phases of their lives. And just as this pond’s water sparkles and as these bushes’ leaves begin to bloom in spring’s sunlight like today, people are able to surmount difficulties and learn that, no matter what happens, there are always better days to come.