*gasp* I thought I did that already! *runs off quickly to see where I did post them*

Ok, I have located one more for ya'll.

In The Blink Of An Eye

Often we forget just how quickly life can change right before our eyes.

I was sitting on the back porch stoop sipping a long, tall glass of iced tea and thinking about how blessed I’ve been throughout all of my life. Thomas married me at the tender age of 19 and together we raised three fine children. Marianne who is now 26, Thomas Jr. 23, and our youngest, Sydney, a dear sweet tender child full of emotions and love. Thomas was always a good provider and we never wanted for anything.

The humidity of the day hung thick in the air. The birds cooled themselves in the new birdbath, flapping their wings to and fro in a frenzied sort of way. I watched as gray billowing clouds moved across the western sky indicating the first signs of a new summer storm. Jasper the old family cat nuzzled my hand in an attempt to encourage me to pet his long, fluffy fur coat.

I remember when I first found Jasper; he was just a kitten and had been dumped alongside of the road down near the old Hampton farm just to the south of us. I found him one day as I was riding my bike along the old country road, enjoying the sweet smell of apple blossoms and feeling the cool spring air on my face. He darted out in front of me and I swerved quickly to avoid him and ended up in the ditch with a scraped knee and foxtails in my hair.

I picked myself up and dusted the dirt off my clothes when I heard him. His meowing was fierce. I called to him, “Here kitty, kitty." I saw a rustling in the tall grass and as I bent to peer in, out he bounded. “Well hello there." I said, as I picked him up to get a closer look at him. “Are you the little one responsible for my fall?” I asked as I petted his spotted brown coat. He began to purr and I immediately fell in love. I put him in the basket of my bike and took him home with me where he’s been ever since. That was ten years ago.

The wind began to blow out of the north in a furry that told me we were in for a hearty summer rainstorm. The sheets on the clothesline flapped furiously and I reckoned it was time to pull the laundry in off the line before the first raindrops began to fall. Fetching the clothesbasket, I headed out into the yard to pull the clothes in and that’s when it happened. As the hair stood up on my arms I saw a huge flash of light and heard only what I can describe as an explosion.

Later that day I awakened in the Pine Crest Memorial Hospital. Thomas sat in the chair next to me holding my hand and looking down on me with concern. When I opened my eyes he smiled long and wide, kissed me on the forehead and said something about how he guessed I was truly one hot momma now. I chuckled slightly. Thomas always had a way of making me smile, even during the worst of time.

I was lucky. The lightening struck a tree in the back yard sending shards of wood flying everywhere. The heat from the lightening strike singed my hair but I only sustained some minor injuries and bruises from the splintered tree. I would recover fully. It was a close call and I am reminded how fragile life is and how it can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye. I am also reminded of the importance of being grateful for what we have and of how important it is to say I love you daily to the special people in our lives. We are blessed with this opportunity in life to shine brightly and to spread joy and love. We should not waste this time because we don’t know what the next moment might bring. Peace, Love and Joy to all of you.

© B. Wilson