Trifecta: Earning Your Wings

This post is in response to Trifecta's Weekly Writing Challenge. The word they chose for us to include in our writing this week is:

CRACK:

3a : a narrow break : fissure     

A dragonfly whizzed overhead, it’s effortless flight grasping hold of my attention. As if a grappling hook had been thrown, I was involuntarily pulled along the path of her whimsical trajectory. Landing upon a flower, she steadied herself in the breeze. My mind was captivated by her beauty, her utter perfection. 

I envied her resolute pose upon that petal, balanced and strong, not allowing herself to be blown over. Her wings were able to release her from any binding chains. It all seemed so simple for her, almost as if she were chosen for a life of ease. As I stood in her presence, feeling the enmity rise within me, I caught sight of something. A remnant of a tumultuous journey. A crack in her paragon.

Her wing, tattered and worn, transfigured the image I had painted of her.  Nothing is given freely. She earned her place. She found her balance. She faced her challenges. As I watched her lift onto the passing breeze, it suddenly became clear to me. No matter how damaged her wing, she would find her way. And along her journey, she'd take comfort in a passing wind, a warming ray of sunshine and a soft resting place. Each their own welcomed a reprieve.