Daisy and her Stone

A daisy's smile shined sweetly upon a stone, and in just the right light a grin could be seen stretched across the rock's stoic face. Day after day together, the sun would rise and set, and it seemed that only when the sun was at its highest daisy could catch his hidden happiness. One day she woke up and saw him there in his stead fast way and as the lightning lit up the sky she began to wonder if they would ever fall apart.

The rain began to fall and she drooped in the darkness. Between fiery skies her heart felt alone. As she would look upon him and his smile could not be seen, the rain turned to a downpour. She began to wave in the wind and feeling broken inside, she could no longer see him. Then, when the sky was bright with electric fury she would see his face again, surrounded by storms, but bright with a smile. Her petals would brighten and the fragile flower would begin to feel strong. Yet there he was, unchanged, despite the darkness that surrounded them. When she was young, the storms seemed at their worst, they would come and go without warning, and rock would always seem to disappear when the clouds were darkest. She hated him for it, but then something funny would happen, she would catch a glimpse of his strong face and mystifying grin and she could not be mad any longer.

One day in spring she turned away from the rock, when other prettier things popped up right next to her side. She took one last look at rock and he seemed to say simply, "Go, I will be here." She would look away and his face would fall, but he did not move. His grin would stay though and despite all the arrogance of the pretty flowers he knew one thing about her that the new friends couldn't see. Tulips popped up and roses began to bloom and the daisy would sit in the sun with her new friends completely ignoring the colorless grey slab that was the rock. Soon though, the tulips would disappear and the roses would wither and die. The daisy would be left and he would hear her call out in loneliness, Still he stayed. Year after year the daisy would run around the rainbow of colors only to be disappointed by their superficial beauty. The stone was strong enough to with-stand the weather, and bit by bit the daisy grew to appreciate his strength. She grew very old and started to wither. she had lost much of her beauty but still the rock stayed by her side, present but not intruding. She said one morning calling over to him in a voice of weathered maturity, “Did you know that when I was young your strength was the only thing that kept me going? Then I treated you poorly and I am sorry for that. Why did you stay with me all those years? You could have brushed me aside, but instead you are here talking to me now.” It had been years since they had talked and the stone began to speak in a low familiar voice. “I knew you when you were very young and I have seen you at your very worst, I have seen your fragile petals touch the ground and get right back up again. For a long time, through the rain I would look out and see if anything was worthwhile and saw nothing. Then finally I looked out and saw you. It broke my heart to see you struggling and with no one else around I felt this was meant to be. I smiled and you smiled back. I helped you and you gave me hope. Truthfully it was you who gave me strength to keep going, and for that I will ever be in your debt.