Moments

Everyone’s had it, that moment.  You’ve taken some time for yourself, walked along in a quiet time and space, when out of the corner of your eye you see it.  It was there all along, but escaped your line of vision.  Perhaps your mind was elsewhere, feeling sorry for yourself,  thinking about some tedious task that needed to be done, or frivolous item to be purchased.

But then you see it, a movement or a change of lighting between shadow and light, even a dusting of leaves my draw your eye to it.  In my case and in this time it was a deer.  She was alone with eyes as big and round as chocolate marbles and she appeared as startled as I was to see the other standing there.  She blinked and stood perfectly still and I mimicked her quiet stance, observing her too big ears that seemed to overshadow her small chiseled face and nose.  We both regarded each other warily – neither wanted to be the first to move.  Me, because I was enjoying her gracefulness and beauty.  Her, because she wondered what the unpredictable human may do next.

It was a stand-off of the sort that held no menace or malice.  She seemed to be communicating to me her calmness, intelligence and dignity.  I was lost in that moment in time.  The moment lasted less than a minute before our gaze broke and she turned and left, not running in an awkward, frantic gallop, but smoothly and silently, again reinforcing that feeling of grace and beauty.

I stood silent a few moments longer – reflecting and wanting to possess some of the qualities the deer shared with me, before I too turned to finish my walk.  As I walked, my mind was clear and my heart was lifted and smiling.