Light seeps vertically through a single crack in the curtains that fall softly from the top of my window. I can see thin layers of dust collecting in the tall corners of the room as the sun decidedly pierces the shadows that once plagued these empty spaces.

“How long have I been laying here?”

I toss my legs to the edge of the bed, stretching in a way I believe will somehow release all feelings of wanting to crawl back into the sheets. I reach out to flick the curtains back, and out of the window I can see children playing in the complex’s community pool.

I listen to their laughter as they move carefully around the deck that has been splashed and soaked. It reminds me of the darker times when you somehow innocently pulled a smile out of me, how you always made me feel youthful.

Recently, life has struck me in such a humbling way, reminding me that everything I have could be taken. Everything I possess, whether I fought for it or not, is a privilege. I do not take anything for granted, even time.