Monday, January 31, 2011

Cultivating Gratitude



In 1959, Rodgers and Hammerstein composed “My Favorite Things” as one of the songs for their Broadway production “The Sound of Music”. The 1965 movie put that song into the realm of ‘songs everyone knows’. Recently, Oprah Winfrey used the theme of “My Favorite Things” to gift her studio audience with the items she cited as her favorite picks of the year.


This prompted me to consider what things, events, circumstances, etc. stir my heart; what ‘favorite things’ do I look forward to seeing or experiencing each year?


So to create greater sense of personal awareness about myself, and to cultivate a spirit of gratitude and appreciation, I decided to create a keepsake book of my favorite things.  My book includes photographs and commentary about those things that bring me joy.  My hope is that this book will inspire my children to notice blessings in their own lives, and give them and my future grandchildren an opportunity to know their mother and grandmother better.


Grateful for the Art of Life

There are many beautiful trees that deserve recognition, but there is one that especially stands out to me.  Fall always brings special refreshment to Texas after a long and hot summer.  This tree is the most captivating to me when the sun is shining brightly, the air is dry and crisp and the temperature is hovering around the mid 60s. The leaves look like they are shimmering as they dance in the wind.