The mellifluoussongs of hummingbirds and taps of woodpeckers resonate withthe waters of the west. The sound of wailing crickets andhooting night owls slowly dissipate as the morning sun rises.Chilly dew crystallizes the grounded herbs, grass and flowers.My puffy eyes open today with new visions of how life is, andwhere I stand. My wrinkled skin, gray hair and fragile boneswill not hold me back. I am here, now, and with all my mind.Age and experience only make me wiser.

My stubbornlover, my aged child, my husband, on the other hand, willnever again feel. He has lost the first chills of daybreakbreezes, and the experience of returning to land after a longsoak in God's waters. No longer will he hear splashingcurrents roll in one after another, pulling the tides againstsandy shores. No longer will he be able to breathe the air ofrejuvenating damp fronts.

I think back to the lastmoments we spent completely involved in each other's lives. Heappeared brave and strong, but inside he was scared and alone.He would often ask, "What is going to happen to menext?" With a relaxed, calm touch I stroked his face,head and back and tried to assuage his fears, "Life is aprocess; at the end of it, we are given a gift ... the gift ofdeath."

"I want to share something withyou," he said. "Your mind, body and spirit are stillvibrant. Hold them sacred. No matter your age, use them tocontinue. Not for one second forget the miracles this planethas to offer. Appreciate the waking moments, and your restinghours as the moon watches over you. Absorb all youcan."

As I sit and bask in sunlight, I realize nowhow short my time on this planet is. I have no more than ten,maybe twenty years. I will not just wait for my time to be up;I need to experience life to the fullest. I am an able womanwith qualities that have no limit. I am soaring through timeand space with the direction of my aged mind.

AlthoughI do not have my stubborn lover, my aged child, my husbandnow, his passing has left an incredible mark on my mind. He ismy guide and my teacher. With one last moment engaged togetherwithout words, I would share the vision of a lithium sunrise.