Dancing Stars...



No matter what happens during any given day...

No matter how many clouds obscure the sun...

No matter how heavy my heart may feel…

It brings me immense comfort knowing there are ten million stars dancing in the sky…

Thank you, God.

Jelly Belly

Bought my first bag of Jelly Belly's is ages. Ate the entire bag in one sitting. It contained an assortment of 20 flavours. Jalepeno pepper, strawberry daiquiri, lemon, chocolate, tutti-frutti, toasted marshmallow, buttered popcorn, coconut. Need I say more?

But I shall.

On my one-hour train ride home from the big city to my tiny little town, I sat and enjoyed every last little bean of Jelly Belly goodness. I ate them s-l-o-w-l-y. I savoured each morsel of tasty goodness. Each explosion of flavour filled my mouth, awakening my senses. And to think this was all done in public! The people sitting next to me were bone-tired, nodding off, heads flopping forward, backward, and sometimes sideward in rhythm to the movement of the train. I sat there enchanted with my little bag of jellied treasures.

It was a moment in 'moving meditation'. As the train sped northward, carrying me home at the end of long day, I focused my attention on the flavours of the little gems I was steadily devouring. And each one was absolutely, perfectly delicious.

My favourite combination was chocolate + toasted marshmallow… tasted a bit like chocolate cream pie. Followed by peach, cherry, and liquorice.

Hard to believe I ate the entire bag and you know what? I don't feel the least bit guilty.

The night and I are often at odds. Some nights march slowly toward the endless and infinite reaches of the sky. The distance to the dawn is unbearable. There is a depth and breadth about the night that overwhelms me as I lie in my bed, feeling so small and insignificant.

The pearl-bright moon bathes the world in silver, but I shut out her light and stare into the darkness, seeking elusive Sleep. Hiding in some unfathomable place, beyond my reach, always taunting me, but she never gives me that most longed-for kiss. This leaves me feeling a sense of hunger, like a vagrant seeking a warm meal or a derelict dying for a drink.

Last night Sleep became lazy and careless, covering me with her veil, transporting me to another plane. And while in her care, I became a mermaid.

The ocean was as deep as the night itself. The water was neither cold, nor salty. It was inert, yet supportive. I swam without effort or strain, as if I had always been a mermaid. I felt light, ethereal, and free. I held no worry or want. I swam with a strength I did not know I possessed. Everything seemed possible.

Exploring my watery world brought me a profound sense of peace. I felt confident and sure of myself. It was as if I had been given a secret power with no conditions attached. There was a certain provocativeness about all of this. So much was given to me in this watery, otherworldly plane.

When I awoke, I was quite astonished. There was such a strong sense of well-being that I could hardly believed I had slept though the night. I felt as if I had won some strange battle, waking at dawn feeling calm and rested.

My hope is to carry this mermaid spirit with me during my waking hours. My fantasy is to become the mermaid once again should Sleep provide me the chance. It was a most magical experience.