It is a beautiful morning. I watch the sun pouring its light through the moss-hung trees and I think how blessed I am to be here. A grey mist floats just above the lake and in the distance I hear my neighbor’s rooster crowing.

Some moments feel perfect and this is one of them. There is a deep stillness in the early morning before the world wakes completely and rushes into the day. This is when I like to sit quietly by my window and know the joy of being alive.

Funny, but of late I’ve gotten so caught up in my to-do list and in the running conversation in my head, I haven’t taken the time to really look around me and see the world that is swiftly changing seasons. All the busyness takes its toll and leaves me feeling a strong need to stop and to recharge.

Sunday I sat in the sun holding a lap full of just-bathed puppies. As they shivered from their first bath, I cradled them close, offering the warmth of my body. Above me the sky was a blue that only happens this time of year. The ground beneath me was warm from the mid-day sun, and the patches of grass soft.

Even as tired and wet as I was from all the animal bathing, I felt deeply content sitting in the light and warmth given so freely by the sun. I closed my eyes and tilted my head back enjoying the feeling.

As I sit here now, a cat is laying on the arm of my chair, his fur brushing my shoulder as I type. When I reach over and stroke his head, he rewards me with a throaty purr. I feel that vibrating purr run through my fingers and I smile.

Leaves float to the ground outside my window and the air is cool and crisp. I hear the screeching call of the blue heron that flies in about this time every morning to enjoy breakfast at the water’s edge. Later the ducks will arrive quacking as they skim over the surface of the lake before landing.

Taking it all in as I sip a cup of hot coffee, I am at peace. This time is exactly what I needed, what my spirit cried out for when I was hurrying through the hours of my life the last few weeks.

The sun is higher now. The shadow patterns on the ground more defined as the light comes stronger through the oak’s branches. I sit for one more moment allowing the sights and sounds and feel of the natural world to feed me, to recharge something deep inside that cries out for this peaceful energy.

I am indeed content as my soul purrs along with the cat and my spirit sings with the blue jay perched on a limb nearby. It is a beautiful morning and I am here to experience it in all its glory. What else is there to say but thank you.