We all need a hug now and then. We welcome that warm and fuzzy feeling we get when we experience something heartfelt and touching, after we verify it's not a stroke.

This morning I felt the love. I awoke at three thirty am for inexplicable reasons, and experienced an overwhelming urge to clean the bathroom. The aromatic blend of shower cleansers and toilet disinfectants waltzed together in a cloud of ecstasy, clearing my mind of all trite things, and unearthing the long hidden secrets of my very soul. I was strong. I was invincible. I was....oh God, I was Carol King. I felt the earth move the very tapestry of my life. I felt the love.

As I was cleaning the sink, I began pondering the apparent yet fictitious concept of centrifugal force as the fascinating bubbles of Clorox Clean-up swirled into my sparkling drain. I was sorrow-filled to bid farewell to my friends, the bubbles, but I knew I could not hold them forever. I was feeling the love.

I pondered my reflection in the mirror while Windex drizzled over my image. It was the Seraphim asking me to cleanse my filthy mouth, and I was humbled. The music of the bubbles gurgling in the drain filled my ears with the message of purity and forgiveness. I felt the love.

At five, I danced downstairs. The stark reality of the mundane could not dampen my spirit. My sister's eyes were filled with confusion and fear. She asked me if I had overdosed on something, as she felt my forehead. I wanted to share the love with her, but she was busy cleaning the bird cage. I gently touched her hand before she jerked it away in disgust. Apparently she wasn't feeling the love. My niece appeared in her usual state of crankiness. I told her how much I loved her, how lovely she was. She flipped me off and blew past me, mumbling something about bird crap on the floor.

I was not to be robbed of my enchantment. I hummed "Oh, What A Beautiful Morning" as I stepped out on the deck to breathe the sweet fragrance of the lilac kissed by early morning dew. Coffee shot out of my sister's nose. As I gazed upon the majesty of Mother Nature, I inhaled deeply.

Almost immediately, fresh air hit my brain like a sniper's bullet. My eyeballs flipped around a few times and I had my first non-cigarette related coughing jag. My sister saved me, as I was veering toward the steps, screaming "How many times have I told you not to spray all that crap at once, you @#$%$#@!!!" That's when I lost that loving feeling.

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