My Aura

I ran into a friend who said, “You miss your husband, don’t you?”

I thought it was obvious that I would, and I replied, “I miss him terribly.”

She said, “I can tell…there is an aura about you.”

What?

Can she see it?

I thought I was exuding a positive attitude!

Can she really see the ragged, bleeding edges where part of my self was ripped away?

It was not a clean surgical cut that could easily be sutured by time and good thoughts.

But…

I have done my best to exercise faith in a loving God.

Do I carry a gray aura of grief,

Or loneliness,

Or sadness?

Can everyone see it?

When they ask how I’m doing and I say that I am doing well,

Do they believe me?

I am not silly and empty-headed.

I cannot brush off tragedy as of no account.

But I will survive.

I will ponder and pray.

I will be transparent.

Perhaps slowly and in tiny increments,

My aura will change.

Perhaps, one day,

I will again be joyful,

And my aura be golden.