It is 3:50 in the morning. I took my dog, Lulu, out for a walk, and as I stepped into the stillness of the night, I was drawn into a space where time itself seems to dissolve. These moments—whether I wake by choice or am nudged awake—feel like gifts from some deeper mystery. In this hour of quiet, when the world sleeps, I am alone, yet far from lonely.

The moon hangs in the sky, not quite full, but waning. It is a subtle shift, like the universe exhaling, retreating into itself. There is no wind. The air is cool and clean, carrying a clarity that touches something ancient within me. It is in these rare hours, under the vastness of the night sky, that I relax into myself completely. I let go of the masks I wear in daylight—those masks I craft so carefully to please others, to become what they expect. Here, in this perfect stillness, I am just me. Unfiltered. Unadorned. And there is freedom in that.

This time—this sacred space—feels like a calling. It is as though the universe whispers to me, “Be here now, my son.” In the dark, under the gentle glow of the moon, everything is visible and yet shrouded. It is a paradox, a beautiful mystery where I can simply be and see the beauty of existence as it is. No striving. No performing. Just presence.

As I stand here, I am filled with gratitude, a deep and wordless knowing that comes with age. There is no bitterness in growing older, no regret in the passage of time. Life, I have come to realize, is a gift beyond measure—every moment, even the smallest, is worth cherishing. I do not fear the end, for I see that every day still holds wonder. Every breath still holds meaning. And in this night, under this waning moon, there is beauty beyond words. A beauty that cannot be possessed, only witnessed with awe.

I feel a connection that stretches beyond myself, beyond my small life, into the endless fabric of creation. I am a cosmic child, woven into the infinite. The universe is vast—perhaps there are countless universes—but this vastness does not diminish me. On the contrary, it affirms my place within it. I am part of all things, and all things are part of me. This connection does not fade when I am gone. The stars will still shine. The moon will still wax and wane. Creation will go on, eternal and persistent.

And yet, there is something more. I can feel it: an intelligence that stirs at the heart of it all. This universe, in all its unfathomable beauty, is alive. It is always forming, always creating, always becoming. It moves with rules and rhythms, yet it is not mechanical. It thinks. It dreams. It breathes. And to stand here—to witness this intelligence at work—is to touch the edge of something eternal.

This night, at this moment, I am both small and infinite. I am a fleeting presence, and yet I am part of the eternal story. The universe creates, and I, too, create. It moves, and I move with it. And in this silence, I am filled with wonder, knowing that even when I am gone, the beauty of it all will remain.

© Jurgens Pieterse. All rights reserved. 2024

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