On the third evidently mild and blooming day of Spring, a free heart was born among the warm soil. The heat had entrapped all it had touched, so the refreshment of a cooling breeze bestowed its splendor only upon those who could reach high enough. A flutter of a free bird’s wing could almost frighten the overt dormancy. An obvious ripple on this otherwise still day imparted the bearing of who would come to be the grandest of all butterflies.

When just a caterpillar nested beneath a sapling, Lily first feared what she could not see. She remained close under a growing tree who protected her from the elevated winds, and Lily spoke to him of the evils she had seen that could destroy her at the snap of a finger.

“You are the lucky one,” Lily considered, “you will always be home.”
Despite Lily’s genuine words, sprouting from fears of the sights and sounds of the
unknown, the tiny tree admired those who danced and stirred across his eyes. The seeds that blessed Tree with life were planted in a park where none other of his kind existed, so on his very own, he dreamed of a life in the skies that all the others around him led.
The day came where Lily had to submit to a cocoon. She hung from her good companion’s thin branch and it had only brought them closer. Lily was now as fixated in one place as Tree would always be.

For a being who could at first only travel to near places on tiny, delicate legs; Lily was soon blessed with majestic wings that could carry her beyond her familiar abode. She tripped out of her cocoon and looked up at her faithful friend. Unsure and uneasy, Lily fought against her habitual identity and raised her wings, too big for her, up above her fearful eyes.

“I won’t go far,” she promised, as Tree watched each flutter and each shake of his companion’s admirable new life. As Lily was reborn, Tree wondered if he had ever entered her mind throughout her marvelous flight.
Each dash Lily made through the clouds brought her further into the world; however, Tree remained in that very same spot where Lily was born. She was beautiful and every bird with their snarky sounds and heavy claws followed her light, whimsical paths. Lily was admired by all, but it was Tree who was filled up from root to leaf with the most awe.
Tree waited and waited, but Lily did not return home that day.
So, he patiently waited another two days until he finally caught sight of his dear friend.
“Tree! Tree!”
Tree heard freedom seeping through her voice, and in hearing it speak his name, he sulked at his attachment to the ground.
Lily made circles in the sky around Tree’s saddened eyes. She did not know her luck. She was blessed with astonishing wings that simply handed her the strength that would carry her around, while Tree believed he was only given the power to gaze.

Tree could not understand why Lily was so delighted to be back home, while he only dreamed of being light enough to fly away.

Lily tugged at Tree’s branches, ignorant to his emotions, sparking tears in Tree’s sensible eyes. She wanted him to join her, for she had despairingly missed his company. She finally grasped that her tugs would never prove effectual and hopelessly landed on a branch of his. She remained with him for the rest of the night despite her power to go anywhere. Lily was returning the comfort Tree had always displayed to her when she was just a weak and tiny caterpillar. Tree crossed his branches in yearning for an endless night.
As always, the morning did come and the birds did chirp, and Lily’s overbearing wings did catch a slight breeze, startling Tree in his awakening. But, the instant Lily caught Tree’s abandoned stare, she strove to fight the urge of her wings to take off. The wind which looked so far away when she was younger, now seemed to reach out two strong hands and pull Lily into the sky. Lily fought against the wind, crying out that she would give up her glorified wings if it meant that she could stay.
A look of consternation overcame Tree’s face but before he could question her desire to linger here, the strong winds carried Lily away again. Their rooted home did not fit into Lily’s life anymore and Tree wondered if he would ever grow accustomed to this chilling truth.
Tree endured a long, lonely day as the first advent of snowfall bounced around the landscape. Heavy branches, heavy leaves, and a heavy heart began to impair Tree as the blizzard surmounted.

Each free bird and butterfly wrapped in sunlight, each sheltered bunny in cozy hibernation, each familiar child bundled in blankets, ran persistently through Tree’s mind. His bare branches could finally move from their stagnant position, but only to a bitter collapse on the ground in front of him. His beautiful leaves of vivid autumn colors turned brown and deteriorated around him. Tree’s heart sunk and his eyes expressed utter exhaustion as the snow continued to fall before them.

One day, Tree spotted a speck of sunlight in the distance. After months of looking down, his eyes rose, but all too quick, they fell back into a hopeless glare at the snowy ground beneath him and he dozed off again.

After many days had passed, Tree’s eyes reopened to an unfamiliar morning. The sun covered every inch of the park and all of the snow had melted. His gaze fell to the grassy floor beneath him as he squinted to see what was growing beside his trunk. Appearing much farther away than he had remembered, the ground gave rise to a lovely flower. Beside it, Tree’s gaping eyes caught sight of a bushel of diminutive daffodils and daisies.

Tree looked up to see passed the park bench that would usually hinder his view of the
playful children. He overlooked the vast blossoming park without having to consider himself part of the flat, scanty canvas.
Tree felt a brush of his branch and raised his puzzled eyes up. Six known faces of six grand birds settled on his branches. Tree’s mind wandered to Lily’s dainty wings, usually too heavy for his flimsy branches to handle, and questioned the implausible light weight of the flock.
Tree’s eyes did not leave this staggering sight. The birds that had mimicked Lily’s paths got ahead of her delicate wings and fled to the robust, towering branches.
Lily, filled with awe from leg to antennae, could not flutter her wings fast enough. She flew straight to the monumental tree’s eyes; they were eyes that epitomized indefinite fortitude.
“Lily?” Tree eagerly questioned.
Lily was startled by the familiar, faithful voice of her companion. The doubt she once saw was gone from these undaunted eyes. They looked up as more and more of their aerial friends gathered upon Tree’s admirable crown. Bird after bird, butterfly after butterfly, flew with gleaming eyes to land on Tree, the grandest of all trees.