Life is prolonged heartache with intermittent intervals of contentment.

And in the August rain, the pavement shimmered. And in that moment, if just for that night, all was right in the world.

The sadness strummed my heart to the tune of a Spanish guitar. Each chord was a lullaby of days passed, moments lost and dreams that would never be.

Some let life's storms tarnish them, but she was different. Even the most vehement downpour could not break her spirit. She saw it as an opportunity to be cleansed, to rise again glowing radiantly in a tainted world.

There was something so beautifully freeing about him. He didn't require any answers, he just lived. In a world full of questions, perhaps he was one of the few who genuinely accepted the truth.

The loneliness was relentless. The air grew so thick you could drown if you took a deep enough breath.