Freeze Frame - orange on orange

It was a sweet innocent morning in early May. I was still somewhat young and I enjoyed the mornings. I would usually sit out on my deck and soak up the sun, listen to the trees.

This one particular morning will stay alive in my mind forever as a living picture, a freeze frame, if you will. It was all simple, quite innocent, but for some reason God shined down on me and I was able to really see all that was around me.

I was sitting in a chair out on the deck, and the trees all around the house were talking. There was a steady light breeze that was moving all the new leaves in and out, fluttering around shining bright lime green of the new leaves as the sounds were like a rolling stream. The door was open to the little house and my desk chair was sitting there in the doorway, and my big orange tabby cat Tigger was laying across the seat of the chair grooming himself, all framed like a photograph framed by the doorway. Orange on orange it was. And it was one of those perfect moments. Perfect happiness, perfect safety, perfect beauty, perfect feeling. As soon as I became aware I made a mental note to remember that picture forever. That beautiful wonderful cat was pleased with himself, happy and fat. And I was there to see it all. There may be many more beautiful days in May, and lovely breezes may blow through hundreds of tiny green leaves, but for me, I had one special moment that transcended the most dedicated and disciplined of Zen monks, a moment that lighted my heart on fire, and imprinted my mind with the true nature and heart of a perfect moment in time. That orange chair is long gone, and so is the orange cat, but the moment we all shared will stay alive in my heart til I'm gone, and maybe beyond. See you in the sunshine Tigger!