Shining Spirit

May I walk through this day hand in hand with all that is gentle and beautiful, warm morning sun waking all living things, yellow blossoms falling like mist from soft green palo verdes.

May I walk through this day heart to heart with the pure joy of hearing bird song, holding a sacred hope that all will be well with the world, discovering kindness, returning goodness, standing in awe, remembering all that is important while releasing all that isn’t.

May I walk through this day convinced of mystery, concerned for brokenness, and at peace with myself.  May I hold Love’s hand until the evening comes.

I awoke this morning at 1:36, having negotiated with Sleep for a restless hour, concluding that she was not persuasive, and fully aware that my will to resist was paper thin.

As I sat on the edge of my bed in the still dark room,  I calculated the number of hushed steps from the bedroom door to a glorious chocolate drenched donut in the refrigerator, the delight that was to be my breakfast in the honesty of daylight.

Sleep surrendered and grudgingly retreated to the corner near the window where I had tossed my brown hiking boots.

The tile was cool on my bare feet as I rose into the blue light from the bedside clock, hoping that I would not step on my invisible black dog or one of her irritating squeaky toys as I took the first steps.

The mysterious magic of a donut in the dark is a temptation beyond my ability to resist.

Oh, the taste. Unspeakable.

Sleep was not impressed with my apology, but, happily, we became friends again about 2:06.