Her husband works hard in a mining field to support his family: wife and two children. His fellow miners and he wear gray overalls, all dirty with many dusts, and coals.
Corinne loves him, and he is her life. When he returns from his work, she helps him unwinding with calming his worries of work or financial stress. Though he is physically tired, he never forgets asking how has been her day and never forgets to play with the children. His eyes are full of love. The house is warm; and there is love; they are feeling safe.
They live in a mining town and her family is the only house around it. No neighbors are close by. Corinne sometimes worries about her kids not learning any social skills adequately, or not developing properly. They have to be there because of his work and for financial reason.
They have a small two-story house, very plain house with fire stoves, one in the kitchen and the other in her bedroom upstairs. Kids complain food being boring because they only able to afford vegetable stews or bread and no meat. But it has warmth and love in it.
In her bedroom, she has a big, beautiful wooden bed with four posts covered with a canopy. She loves this bed, it was a gift from her husband, who made it for her.
More special about the bed is; it is made of the tree where they shared the tender moments. This was a very old tree, with big trunk and many big branches. In summer it brought many green leaves, breeze through the leaves was so enchanting,
They met at the tree, talked hours together for anything and everything; sat and just watched the sky or the stars; her husband confessed his love to her; proposed to her; even on the wedding day they sat under the tree; and just looked at each other; only love was spoken through their eyes.
The tree is love for her; it represents love. The tree knows them, about them, has memory of them too. He made the bed out of the tree. Only love she can feel with this bed.
Her relationship with her own family has not been harmonious. Even wedding day, they did not come. No guests were there, just two of them made a promise to love each other forever. Her mother specifically selected a suitor, and wanted her to marry him from wealthy with high status in the society so that they could get benefit financially from in laws. Her mother resented her wedding to her husband who did not meet any of those requirements. Corinne has always been feeling cold wave from her mom.
Later in life, she finds herself alone. Her husband passed away from lung problem; children grew up and moved away. Reflecting on her life, she regrets that she did not make any friends. She has been living in the same house; never worked; never invited her husband’s coworkers either. She did not let anyone in. She isolated her family from outside.
On the last day, old and sick, she is lying on the bed that her husband made of the tree, feeling in love and content. Because the bed contains so much of their love. She feels him; love is everywhere. The tree contains all of their love, his love, surrounding her with love and feeling protected.
Having seen how she managed that life; she recognizes many things more clearly:
Why certain people has pushed her emotions to extreme; made her go down to the road of depression; and doubt about her ability.
She learned who and what she has to work on to build better relationship.
She is able to get in touch with her emotions easily and spontaneously to release her pent-up tears to flow. Wondering where so much tears have been stored!
She knows what is her life purpose.
She knows who is going to be her life partner and what kind of family she will be having in the future.
Her physical discomforts throughout her body, she learned what they meant, why she had to experience them, what was the cause, and what she has to develop to see her life in wiser perspective.
Life seems to be more promising, and plans to move forward without worries and fears.
Now she feels for the first time in her life that she can fully enjoy her life as is.