I am grateful for the beauty of new green leaves attached to the trees, on stage with the morning sun as their spotlight.

I am grateful for the slight flow of air from a ceiling fan when May suddenly turns into early summer.

I am grateful for words of understanding and encouragement from a boss who is also one of my closest friends.

I am grateful for Myrtle the mama mourning dove who is patiently sitting on her eggs, a reminder to be fierce and loyal and steadfast in loving my own.

I am grateful for Sam, who loves our grandchildren so much and gets so excited when they visit and fill our home with noise and fingerprints and sticky and hugs and curls and giggles and crying and toys…and lots of love. He schemes and dreams and prepares all the little things that will make memories.

I am grateful for God’s natural light.

I am grateful for the pleasure of a warm shower and the feeling of clean.

I am grateful for a Mother’s Day message from the book of Ruth that stirred so much emotion, that reminded me of how blessed I was to have had a great mom who loved me in my ugly, a message that reminded me to keep loving even when I am not so loved back, and reminded me I can love others who have open arms and accept me, even if they are not “my own.”

I am grateful that when I run my fingers over a piece of furniture these days, I no longer leave a very clear path of evidence that dusting has not occurred.

I am grateful for weeds to pull – it is very therapeutic on days when I need inner aggression therapy.

And I am grateful for “Clair de Lune” that plays every time I tell Alexa to play relaxing piano – it makes me feel like Mom is near. It’s my musical cardinal.