The Light is Within Me

Up at 4:30 a.m. I was at my computer writing an email to a friend when I swiveled in my chair and caught my breath at an awesome sight. Dawn had arrived in a blaze of scarlet. Its deep rose-drenched color was pressed into the horizon by a heavy load of navy blue clouds and resulted in a sunrise that was all the more magnificent.

Though we didn't receive the massive snowfall that punched through the center of the country over the past day cold, heavy winds arrived today. When I gazed out the patio door, a leaf shuttled past, skimming the snow-covered landscape like a small creature dashing for cover. The house wheezes with cold air that slips under siding boards and past indoor paneling with each strong gust of ice-enhanced breeze.

During T'ai Chi Chih practice I positioned myself in an occasional sliver of sunlight that emerged before the sky succumbed to its blanket of moist clouds. This morning's color--and light--have massaged my soul and lifted my spirits.

I cancelled today's TCC class since I'm still recovering from this beast of a cold/flu and I don't want to share my germs. I did notice during today's solo practice, though, that recovery is occurring. I felt calmer, quieter, and more focused during my practice, was able to stay on my feet longer, and only coughed twice during my 40 minute practice. Ah, the sweet sound--err, cough--of success....

I'm still undecided about whether I'll appear onstage at Stagenorth tomorrow and Saturday night to read my piece from Love Stories of the Bay. My story is the second-to-last reading of the night. And the show, scheduled for two acts, requires writers/readers to sit onstage for the entire act during which they read. For me to not cough or blow my nose for 45+ minutes on stage seems highly unlikely to say nothing of the five+ minutes of my reading at the podium.

We'll see, I suppose, what tomorrow brings. (You can tell that I'm feeling better because this post is longer. And ... my mind is semi-functional once again.)