it's 6:00 in the morning.
the sky is a mix of blue patches and cloud. i walk on the promenade at the seafront. also on the promenade are a few runners, several dog walkers, a few fitness buffs, one swimmer, and flocks of seagulls. i breathe the sea air, an elixir, a tonic to bodymindspirit.as i look up, witness to the ever-changing pattern of cloud, i am filled with gratitude. the pure miracle of life stops me in my tracks. i am awed by the flow of energy, of life on its own terms, of the delicate and raw nature that surrounds this urban area.it is hard to contain my emotion as i watch the clouds re-arrange themselves in patterns that can never be duplicated.this is the miracle of life. nothing stays the same and nothing can be repeated.gratitude is given at the same time as it is received. as i offer my thanks to the elements, to the goddesses of sky, wind and sea, i receive a deep sense of contentment, of love. i am filled with the nature of being.this sense of open, receptive gratitude is certainly part of life at any stage. as an elder there is a particular awareness of the fleeting nature, not only of the clouds, but of each moment, each breath. each is unique, never to be repeated, never to be duplicated.and each joins me to the whole of nature, to the whole of all beings.