“I so want a summer that is leisurely and happy-go-lucky, and that is filled with floral fragrance and singing birds”. I had this dream for years, and yet it has not become true.

In memories, summer is hot and long. Waking up from an afternoon nap, I walked out to the backyard where the cicadas are chirping and the wind is rustling the leaves. My grandma and grandpa are chatting and sipping tea under a big plane tree which is in full bloom with subtly fragrant light purple flower..

Several summers flew by filled with planned trips and never-ending chaos. I started to question whether it is even possible to find the summer I have lost for so long.

At the morning break today, I took a walk around my office building. Different from my usual walks, I decided not to be occupied by anything but to listen with my full attention. All of a sudden, I heard the entire world. Hiding behind the busy traffic, I heard the wind is blowing and the birds are singing; I heard a senior couple is chatting quietly; I heard my breath and I heard my steps. The world is so quiet! The real noise is not produced by the running cars and barking dogs but by my mind and heart.

On this walk, I heard the melody of songbirds that is more than the total of the past decade. On this walk,  I accidently found my long lost summer- a summer that is leisurely, full of floral fragrance and singing birds.