I woke this morning to snow falling quietly outside my windows.  The children are still sleeping, and with my hot coffee in my hand, it gave me a moment to ponder the peacefulness.  The snow fall has muted the cars that are passing my home on their morning commute, and there is a type of magic in the air.  The magic that comes from nature doing her best to remind us that she's still here.

Yes, I cringe when I see the white stuff falling, knowing that in a very short time, I will be piling on layers of clothing and thick boots, to go out and make a path from the door to the cars.  After that comes the fight to get out of the drive way, the sliding onto the road, and the careful turns and stops to keep from meeting other drivers on the road in an unpleasant manner.  I know that the plows will be by shortly and push all the snow off of the road, and into the little dip at the end of my driveway, effectively creating a dam that my car will need to barrel through.

I know I will be cold and somewhat miserable, and that there is a very good chance that my children will come home from school today damp and carrying a cold.

But, despite all that, right now, in this moment, there is peace.  As each flake falls, effectively covering the world in an icy blanket, there is the promise of beauty.  Beauty that has not been marred by the footprints of men, or yellow snow, or dirty trucks.  Beauty that signals a new start, fresh from all expectations.  Beauty and quiet;  quiet and peace.

So as we go out today, try to capture just a second of the tranquility of that very moment.  It may not be staring out the window at fresh snow with a hot cup of coffee.  You may be looking at the sun peaking over the mountains, the ocean, or even the beauty of the desert.  Just remember to take a moment for you to breath it in before your day begins and feel the magic of the moment.  Enjoy.