Dancing in the Moonlight

I had insomnia last night.  I just hate when that happens.  Insomnia is something I've struggled with all of my life.  But, it really doesn't bother me as badly anymore ... not like it did when I was a child and it felt like the whole world was asleep and that I was all alone ... not like when I was a student or employed and knew that I had to get up the next morning and, not like when I was a young mother and every fiber of my being was screaming for rest and yet I couldn't sleep.  These days my reaction is more like 'oh bother.'   And then, last night was, to paraphrase Oprah, a sort of 'aha' moment.

I tossed and turned for an hour and then thought to get up and take a pain reliever for the dull headache that I was rapidly developing.  I sat up and looked toward my bedroom window.  I blinked and looked again because I couldn't figure out what the bright light was that was shining through the window and leaving patterns that looked like sunshine.  At first it was startling ... I mean, how could someone be behind my house in the country shining a light in my window?  I walked over, pulled back the window covering and realized it was the moon.  A huge, very bright, very full moon was lighting up my world.

Of course, I've seen full moons and, of course, they can be bright but, there were some added effects.  The moon was reflecting the dew on the lawns and fields in a way that almost made them look bright white.  I had to blink again because it looked like it had snowed.  I walked to my front door and opened it.  No snow ... the sidewalks were perfectly clear.  Then, I noticed that the moon was also reflecting off a fine, hazy mist hanging over the valley and the foothills east of us.  It was ethereal, it was a silvery wonderland and it was all mine.

I took in that vista, the magic of that moment as I breathed in the crisp night air.  I realized that but for my insomnia I would have missed it entirely.  Maybe I was meant to see it or maybe it was just coincidence but, it was a magical moment to me and it made me grateful for the time and the place.  Just another little growth spurt in this long journey called life ... a reminder to be fully present in the moment.