People are like stained – glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.
~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

I am grateful to be surrounded by people who sparkle in both darkness and light. I feel privileged to be able to immerse myself in their beauty, and hope that some of their shine rubs off on me.

A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often – just to save it from drying out completely.
~Pam Brown

I am grateful for friends who understand and accept that I am not the world’s greatest gardener, and who are willing to sustain our friendship through long droughts of emails, phone calls, and visits. I do treasure each and every one of my friendships, and I need to be more attentive so they not only survive, but thrive.

I figure based solely on my age, that I’m about halfway through my life’s story, give or take a few pages. I’m grateful that I have ownership of the rest of my story. In the early chapters of my book, I was, to some extent, following someone else’s storyline–that’s just a natural part of growing up. For the rest of my story, however, I am the author, creating my own storyline. I choose which characters co-star in my story, and which adventures fill the pages. I know there will still be some plot twists beyond my control, but I find myself looking forward to savoring each new page, uncharacteristically in no rush to get to the end of the book.

“I go to nature to be soothed and healed,
and to have my senses put in order.”
~John Burroughs 

I am grateful for those unexpected moments, when nature soothes and heals parts of me that I didn’t even know were hurt or broken. I thought I felt fine when I headed out for a walk a couple weeks ago, but after soaking in this moment of stillness, I felt a thousand times better…happier, clear-headed, more serene.

When I need something warm and sweet so I can make it through the rest of the day, I am grateful for my favorite Starbucks indulgence–signature hot cocoa with soy milk, extra hot. Mmmm.