Hwy to Heaven

Do you remember that show with Michael Landon and Victor French? (aka Charles Ingalls and Mr. Edwards).

This is a rather cryptic-looking photo taken while I was driving home from Harrisonburg on Thursday night. As I approached the crest into the gorgeous Shenandoah Valley, the huge yellow moon rose slowly above the horizon.

On my last uphill ascent, the moon lined up exactly in front of me and just for a few moments it seemed like I was driving straight up to it. It was a magical brief suspension of reality. I snapped this picture with my cell phone to remember the moment, knowing the captured image will never match what I saw.

This reminded me of three other instances during my life I felt a similar moment of awe.

1. Star gazing in Kim's backyard - Kim had an annual slumber party for her birthday each year. We would make foil dinners, inaugurate the pool season and sleep outside beneath the stars. One year in particular, I remember being awake longer than anyone else. While the other girls slept, I kept my eyes on the heavens, my gaze pacing from side to side not wanting to miss a single shooting star. Truly, the night sky has never seemed as close as it did in southern NM.
2. I spent Thanksgiving 1996 in Colorado with Megan and her family. One of the things we did while there was to drive up on the Grand Mesa for sledding. It was a heavy overcast day with more snow on the way. The drive to our designated sledding spot was marked with many switchbacks and winding curves taking us slowly higher and higher into the Rockies. At one point, we noticed the ceiling of clouds was getting nearer. Then, for a couple minutes we were caught in the heavy fog. Finally, in one instant, we broke through the clouds to the gorgeous sunny sky. The clouds were now a floor rather than a ceiling. I will always remember the beauty and how it reminded me that even when life seems dark and gloomy, the sun is still shining. You just have to look beyond the clouds.
3. The most recent of these moments happened in January along the campaign trail. During my time in Florida, we stayed with a host family in Palm Beach. The home sat on one of the most breathtaking pieces of land. It was a bittersweet experience to stay in such an amazing place with no time to enjoy it. On one of the nights, after a typically long campaign day, I took a walk into the backyard/pool area before climbing into bed. Although it seemed unseasonably warm, the 70 degrees was a normal late Jan. evening blessing for the citizens of Palm Beach. I laid on one of the pool lounge chairs for a while and watched the fast moving clouds race across the sky, backlit by the moon and stars. It was silent and peaceful, and I felt that the scene in the sky was meant just for me.

Do you have similar moments in your memory?