Sitting with a view of a trees-one swamp oak and tall cottonwoods and maple trees-that surround gray pond water mirroring tree limbs and leaves, life is close to perfect. Stillness abounds. My personal life content; A husband's birthday just celebrated, a daughter who glows with humor and creates beauty, my dearest Indian friend's daughter who emanates peace is about to be married, and my first novel is complete and contained within its "forested" book jacket.

Stolen moments when life is good and all is right with the world. This awareness is all the more brilliant after reading of the French man who could only blink his left eye due to being paralyzed. He wrote a book with his speech therapist, letter by letter, by blinking his eye when the correct letter was shown. I was able to write whole words. In memory of this stranger who I came to know through words, I feel gratitude for this day, this moment, this green spectacle of trees and calm waters, this ability to write freely.

My thoughts, June 17 2009, Susan Estall