It's 3:00 a.m.

I don't know what woke me, but I knew that I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. *sigh* I got up, put on my big ol' bathrobe and bunny slippers, and stopped by the window to look out. Man, that Mother Nature can sure put on a show! Her new batch of snow, that's still falling in fat, wet flakes, is spectacular. Me and the bunnies drag ourselves downstairs. Honeynut Cheerios go great with 3:00 am, so I fix a bowl and open up the back door. WOW! What strikes me immediately is how unbelievably still the "world" seems. It's as if Mother Nature has silently whispered, "Shut the hell up, humans, and be in awe of my majestic beauty." I eat my cereal with the door still open, watching her as she slips the occasional snowflake kiss on my face, arms, neck and into my bowl. God, she's beautiful...arresting in her ability to bring us to a screeching halt.

For the last few nights, I have been unable to see the stars. Every night when the sky is clear I go out on my back deck and look for them. When they are out, I soak them up, letting them remind me of just how infinitely small we all are. I need that reminder, especially when the world becomes overwhelming. But their absence, hidden behind banks of clouds night after night has left me anxious, restless. Tonight, however, the stars have given way to this blanket of white, and a quiet that honestly defies description. Usually it is what's beyond this blue planet that calms my restless spirit, but tonight it is the sheer magic to be found on our world that has done the trick. It's not enough to help me fall back asleep, but it is exactly what I needed to garner a little bit of peace. Stars and snowflakes are not burdened by the silliness of the human condition, nor do they notice the passing of time. Perhaps it is this simplicity that draws us in and inspires the lovers, the poets, the dreamers and philosophers to reach beyond terra firma while remaining firmly rooted here on this plane, in this space for this brief moment of utter n-o-w. Whatever it is, the bunnies and I are thoroughly impressed by the Universe and all its majestic glory!

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