I remember as a child laying in the yard, on my back, feeling and smelling the earth and grass. Gazing up at the sky, I would watch the beautiful white clouds slowly morph from one shape to the next. First, I could see a dinosaur, then a tree, and then a car. With no beginning or ending, the slow continual movement of the clouds created a playground right in front of my eyes. I remember a feeling of oneness with the earth and sky, as time seemed to stand still. Totally present in the moment, there was no regretting the past, or worry for the future. There was not even a conscious awareness of self. Everything was connected. The warm summer breeze was the artist, creating an ever-changing display of fascinating objects. There was peace and happiness. Not a care in the world. I still experience those moments as an adult, maybe on a lovely summer day, playing in the yard with my children or walking on the sandy beach, listening to the hypnotic sound of the ocean waves. Often during silent meditation or deep relaxation, life just opens up, and that feeling of oneness occurs, accompanied by total joy and peace. There is a very natural feel to it. It just is. And I wonder if everything else is some type of struggle, in one form or another.