My Mansion on High: 

There are many who dream of picturesque scenery that seems unreachable and surreal. They wish to smell the roses and feel the blades of grass in between their toes. They may feel in a state of bliss or contentment when this place is imagined. I have seen one of these most beautiful places in a dream. 

It was the spring of 2010, a few months after my sister Hailey passed away. I had not felt her as close as I wanted her to be. I retired to bed on a warm spring night. I fell asleep and began to dream a glorious dream filled with peace and serenity. 

I was in a cul de sac where there were the most beautiful homes I had ever seen. Colors we glorified: they are unlike any color I have ever seen on earth. The grass was pristine, soft, and full. The flowers filled every flower bed around the houses. The trees were green and almost frilly. They filled the backyards and created a mystical feel. It was an oasis of the most beautiful gardens and landscape that I could possibly imagine.

 I was lulled into a sense of peace and serenity. I walked up to a home. It was refined and simply perfect. The home was large, but filled with a closeness that I cannot describe. The interior was decorated in a frivolous manner. The colors, once again, were amazing. It was as though the glory of the sun entered the home and filled it without overheating. My sister Hailey was there. She was dressed in a beautiful white robe. I was in a state of pure joy. This was my ideal that I have longed for ever since. My memory of this mansion has faded to a fuzzy picture with soft yet beautiful colors. I will never forget this beautiful escape. It is where I aspire to be one day.