Feeling blessed.

It's 5:45 a.m. Saturday. July 12. I'm in the Swiss Alps. On the 3rd floor balcony. High. Looking east, I think. No sun yet. Because of the clouds. It's drizzling. A haze. Another glimpse of Paradise. I can see the fog-shrouded Alps. Like I'm living in a fairy tale. The village is coming awake. Lights here and there in the chalets. I hear the rain. Dripping. From the orange-tiled roof. I think about going for a walk. Instead, I am transfixed. Absorbed by the moment. Knowing I am alive and conscious. Knowing that my dream is real. A moment in time. Captured. Inside me. Maybe we won't see the sun today. Maybe this will be an all-day rain. But I think it's appropriate. Feels like today is a day out of the distant past. Maybe the 1600s. When my ancestors were more than spirits. Alive beings. Seeing a day much like this. Savoring the moment. Right here. In this valley. Feeling blessed. --Jim Broede