Heaven On Earth part 2

There are no more doubts in my mind. Heaven exists on earth. It may be fleeting. It may be hidden. But when the timing is right and hearts are open, the doorway appears and angels welcome us in. My doorway had a no trespassing sign on it. "Go anyway", I heard. And so I did.

At 9:30 this morning, a 60 degree and sunny morning, I stepped into the woods. My favorite angel, the chattering red-bellied woodpecker kind, announced my arrival and led me down the path into heaven. Along the path, thick and white and waving in the breeze, stood thousands of trillium wildflowers. Thousands. I stepped off the path and set myself down in leaf litter, completely surrounded by trillium. I took a breath and the breath brought bliss. Looking around me, absorbing the wonder of the crowds of trinity blossoms, I felt a sense of calm I have never felt before. It was so complete as to be intoxicating. I sat in this calm, this bliss, this fleeting heaven until I could sit no more.

I wandered down the path and was greeted again by the red-bellied woodpecker. He introduced me to his mate and their 2 fledglings. I sat down on a fallen cherry tree to listen to their music. A cardinal joined in and I closed my eyes. It was music to meditate by and the sense of calm carried on. When I opened my eyes again, a splinter of light lit a singular, rare red trillium in front of me. Upon closer view ,the rarities increased. Dozens, not thousands, but my pleasure was profound.

At the end of the path lay a field. Grasses and wide open sky and 2 red tail hawks coasting on thermals welcomed me into the sun. Another rarity, also sporting red, swooped down on me to both our surprise. A rose breasted grosbeak, caught up in chasing his mate, landed with wings spread and gusto on the grass next to me. Seeing I was clearly not his mate he vaporized back into the trees.

Because heaven on earth is not complete without the earth, I picked a dry spot in the field and lay my heart down on the Mother. I lay in the field, absorbing the energy and love from the earth, surrendering all cares, slipping into sleep, until I could lay no more. Again the calm. Again the bliss. Again the feeling of fleeting heaven.

It is now many hours since my encounter with the whites and reds of bliss. But the calm has stayed with me. The afterglow lingers. My heart is filled with heaven on earth.