It was the very first morning in Chicago & as usual I was awake early & wondering whether we faced East or West? Instead of speculating, I decided to check it out & opened the curtain. I screamed at my husband to get up & then went completely quiet.

In front of me was the most beautiful & perfect setting of Nature that I have ever seen, staring directly at me. I have seen/watched many Sun rises back home & on numerous occasions have made my husband forcibly drive in the evenings to see the Sun set/Moon rise over the Arabian Sea in Kuwait but this one in front of me was out of ordinary.

Standing on the 31^st floor facing the biggest fresh water body I have ever seen, I lost myself for a while. My feet numb, heavy as iron, heart singing like the early morning birds in the woods & mind floated away feeling so light- I have no idea what was happening to me. There it was the two opposite characters (fire & water) of nature creating the magic right in front of me. The whole scenario was electrifying & the moment froze for a while with pure bliss.

When I came out, at first it seemed like both were flirting with each other for eternity in unison. Mr. Sun creating vibrant, varying brilliant colours on the horizon, as if trying to peep-out to check on his partner & the graceful Lady with the crystal clear shimmering/gleaming water sans all the numerous boats of the previous night, welcoming with a smile. Then it seemed like she was challenging him with all her vast glory to evaporate all her water if he can!! However, both had one common purpose, perhaps a simple task for them, just to nourish the mortal creation.

Silence as the sound of the few early morning cars far below failed to reach my ears. Every Pico-second & every fleeting second, the sight was different. The magical beauty was too much for my brain to comprehend, collect or contain, tears rolling from eyes wishing the moment would never end… wishing somehow I could hold on to that divine moment… hold on to it forever & ever. Wondered if God almighty could create such beauty with basic things how vast thy/God’s beauty must be… Beauty come from beauty & only God almighty is capable of creating such magnificence. How blessed I was, even if for a fleeting second of such splendor. All good things come to an end so did this one. That’s why they are so very special & has to be experienced, felt deep inside & cannot be described!!

In the meantime with my screaming earlier & the silence thereafter made my husband jump out of the bed & join me by the window. He was excited & tried to sieze the moment in the camera. But no camera could do justice to some electrifying moment.

Next day I got up early to relive the electric moment again but unfortunately it was cloudy & Mr. Sun was playing hide & seek behind the clouds, as if to tease me for my greed. Perhaps some moments are meant to be exclusive. After all it was not Groundhog Day!!

No wonder opposite attract each other. I have realized that that is perhaps the secret of the success of my own marriage mixed with past karma & a common goal. Inspite of the difference there is a strong common thread which binds any kind of relationship & if we can isolate that thread, the relationship can be as magical as the sun rise or the sun set. Hope one day scientist would be able to discover or unearth the secret of matters in nature to bring harmony to humanity.

The vast body of fresh, crystal clear water form was the Lake Michigan* creating the illusion of meeting the horizon, not surprised they call it an ocean & call its shore a Beach. Things around us are sometimes confusing like the Chick-fil-A’s “moo.. moo” Mascot which is a cow! But at the end of the day, a mascot is only a mascot! For eg. No matter what, while every single individual project themselves as their alter ego of wild imagination, everyone & everything is the same beneath the skin!!

*Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes of North America & the only one located entirely within the US (others shared with Canada). I absolutely have no idea why even though it is a fresh water body surrounded entirely by land is referred to as Ocean & its shores as Beaches! I heard that the sands around Lake Michigan are known as singing sands because of the unique sound they make when you walk on them. When I was in Chicago I was not aware of this unique character & would try it next time (if there is one) on bare foot!!