Yellow, Orange, and Blue Joy

The air is so crisp it almost crackles. I point my face directly into the sun, my eyes closed. The sun's warmth seems to overpower the morning's briskness. The sky is simultaneously light blue and turquoise, which doesn't seem possible. The orange and yellow leaves on the street seem to emanate an autumnal hue upward and swirl around us. Does life get any better?

Lucy at my side keeping a fast pace, I stop to praise her periodically for not pulling so hard on the leash. She sits and casts big brown eyes up at me and wags her tail. I kiss her on the head.

I think about Jelly and Camille and wonder why I am so blessed--it doesn't make sense. But the pessimist inside me says, "Remember, life can change in the blink of an eye." All I can do is hope to have the strength to endure whatever comes my way.