There are days you go along on automatic pilot…

doing your laundry, mowing the lawn, chatting with friends, making Jello, cleaning the bathroom. You’re in that practical “zone” that allows you to be organized, attentive, & productive. You feel fine because you accomplish so much, whether it’s baking a pie, staining the deck, or balancing your checkbook. Some people even have the ability to string several of those kinds of days together creating a kind of monstrous checked-off To- Do list.

When I’m in that mode the “mice song” from Walt Disney’s Cinderella runs aroundin my head. No…not the “One Day Your Prince Will Come” song…the other frenetic one where the mice are singing to her while she does all the work!

I was in the middle of one of those whippy kind of days, on the way to annihilate a grocery list. In the car, zipping nicely along, I happened to glance to my right & time stopped…as did the car.

Some days luck just jumps up & surrounds you. Not only did I spot the owl, but it stayed put while I backed up the car, gaped a bit, fumbled with my camera (luck also arranged to have it in the car with me) & managed to click a few shots. He/she calmly watched, blinked twice & then silently flew into the words.

What struck me most was the fact that in that blink of an eye, my exceedingly practical day & my “zone” disintegrated. Everything that had been important before the owl, ceased to exist & I was left with one perfect moment.

Breathing deeply…check!

Feeling calm & centered…check!

Connected to the universe…check!

All it took was a barred owl.

Barred Owl near Torch Lake…

I did eventually & much more slowly go to the grocery store & back home to finish out the day but I went singing snatches of Tim McGraw’s song…

I loved deeper & I spoke sweeter & I gave forgiveness I’d been denying…

And as my yoga instructor always says…”Om shanti, shanti, shanti….peace, peace, peace.

Me…I’m off to find another perfect moment.