We hear voices in solitude
we never hear in the hurry and turmoil of life;
we receive counsels and comforts
we get under no other condition. 

- Amelia E. Barr

"Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty."

“A happy life is made up of little things…a gift sent, a letter written, a call made, a recommendation given, transportation provided, a cake made, a book lent, a check sent.” 

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. It turns problems into gifts, failures into successes, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. It can turn an existence into a real life, and disconnected situations into important and beneficial lessons. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. 

-Melody Beattie

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."

I Want to Age Like Sea Glass

As I hit 49...