Who is Looking at Who?

Many times in my life, Mother Nature has stopped me in my tracks such as when I have hiked to the top of a ridge and I looked out at the majestic view, or watched the waves come in after a storm standing on the sandy shore. Every time it happens I feel a sense of peace. It is like receiving a gift from Earth reminding me that I am part of something bigger than myself.

I rose out of bed early Saturday morning from a night of tossing and turning. My mind once again busy with trying to answer questions that had no answers. Mostly I was attempting to solve the issue of how my own two children’s hybrid model was going to coincide with the hybrid models from my district and my husband’s.

When I looked over at my husband’s side of the bed I noticed he beat me to it and had already made it down to the kitchen. I quietly descended the stairs, not wanting to wake my children. My dog Molly was the first to greet me with her alert eyes and wet kisses. I saw my husband sitting at the kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee. We locked eyes and immediately start brainstorming ideas about how to support our children’s schooling and maintain our work schedules.

During the discussion I took a deep breath and looked out our kitchen window. I stopped and stared at the surprise on the other side of the glass. It seemed the visitors perched on my deck did the same thing. Time stood still and the two mysterious creatures and I studied each other. “I thought they were nocturnal. ” I said to my husband, “I guess they are up late, and we are up early.”

The two owls continued their survey of the land bound beings inside their large wooden structure. I grabbed my phone and snapped a picture. I thought they would be frightened off by this, but they continued to let their curiosity dictate their behavior. My husband and I did as well. I could see their fierce eyes, delicate feathers, and strong talons. Everything about them was beautiful and perfect. Then that sense of peace took hold and a feeling of gratitude swept over me as I exhaled. I have been overtaken by nature before, but never from inside my own kitchen.