Learning To Walk In The Dark

The little dog hasn’t been well this week – sprained shoulder. You would think I could make sense of the X-rays, all that anatomy schooling of mine, but doggie bodies are a little different, and little hyper dogs don’t take well to human orthopedic tests, but anyways, I digress. He whimpered on and off all night last night finally driving my husband off to the guest room where he could slumber with ear plugs in silence. Me, I waited, the mom in me taking over, finally waking all the way up at 1:00 a.m.

I scooped Leo up and took him outside hoping that that was the answer to this unusual noisiness, and not his pain. As I gently placed him in his usual spot in the grass, I realized that I was correct about the need for a potty break, and stood up, slowly taking in a big breath of warm, breezy air.

Whenever I have to wake up at an hour my body normally revolts against I usually pout. There goes the designated 7-8 I need to be “Happy Laura” the next day. But lately I have been paying attention. This morning, as I stood up and breathed in, my eyes caught the light in the sky, and I immediately looked in all directions for the moon I knew was there somewhere. But it wasn’t. The whole sky was lit up. By the clouds! The starry night sky was filled with story book clouds, that seemed to glow with light, illuminating the back yard.

So while Leo did his business, and the big dog roamed the yard in search of night time creatures to practice her low “I hear you” growl with, I, with a good back bend, took in the light. Those strato-cirro-whatever shapes of cloud, floated in super slow motion, perfectly spaced, perfectly painted above my tree tops. And I thought to myself, this is a gift.

So now, when the Universe wakes me at an hour of her desire, I wonder instead of curse. I smile instead of pouting and I greet my visit with nature in the dark with a whole new awareness. It is nice. There are gifts waiting in the dark.

I love the signs. I ordered a book this week, which arrived yesterday, “Learning To Walk In The Dark.” As soon as I am finished with “The Dark Side of the Light Chasers,” I will let you know how this new one is.