Capturing Cloud 9

Ridiculous, I know, but since forever, I’ve always wanted to jump out of a plane with a jar in one hand and the lid in the other over a pile of fluffy, brilliantly white clouds. And ultimately I’d turn the jar face down and catch a piece of that cotton candy sky, seal it tight and then I would never have to be fully back “down to earth” with it by my side. lol A tangible piece of my own Cloud 9. (Before you go really rolling your eyes at me, understand I know it’s not possible 😊) But it’s on my bucket list nonetheless… 😉

Ironically, it was a plane we missed and so my husband, myself and my son ended up driving all the way to Tahoe for our annual summer trip to my in-laws. Driving there- something I hadn’t done in YEARS… Oh man though, I needed to miss that flight. I later realized, there was a reason.

Seven hours of driving; I could’ve skipped the first 4-5 but it was when we reached Mammoth and I saw the trees, smelled the pine through the air vents, I felt a calm I hadn’t known in a while. A restful silence and I was in awe of the beauty around me. And then, unexpectedly, the pockets of white fluffy clouds opened and dumped nickel-sized water drops. They seemed to smash into the windshield with such force and I experienced a sudden urge to feel them. I rolled my window down and the whoosh of warm wind hit me and I laughed as my son begged to have his down too. lol Yet it was those rain drops.

Eyes closed, head back against the headrest, I reached for the rain, feeling the pelts, capturing them for brief seconds in my hand before they were whisked away by the wind and replaced with new ones. Eyes closed, I just felt… and smiled while inhaling the delicious scent of tree mixed with moisture- a cleansing. Of the sky, the earth, me. My son giggling behind me as he tried to mimic my arm out the window. But it was peaceful. I needed to miss that flight. I needed calm, not chaos. I needed an open road. I opened my eyes and watched the scenery fly past us, the windshield wipers working furiously and my arm glistening from the power of nature. I felt restored. Eventually, we popped out of the clouds and back into the sun, windows down the rest of the drive. I didn’t want to miss this rush, this renewal, a point seemingly so insignificant, yet not.

In that moment, I remembered to be grateful for life, for a healthy day… I’d caught a piece of that cloud and it felt amazing…