This morning I woke up to rain. Today, water droplets are clinging to grass shoots, tree leaves and window panes. There is a chill in the spring air, and everywhere I look I see lovely shades of green and gray.
You'll have to pardon me as I get sentimental for a moment. I just can't help it.
Walking outside, I realized how deeply I love this home we share. I love the diversity of nature's gifts and the changes brought by each new season. I love the colors and shapes and textures. I love that I'm alive and able to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us.
A few years ago, a family I adore shared a quote that was treasured by their grandfather, who was a very special, amazing man. When I heard it, I knew I would remember it forever. It spoke to me in a way I had never experienced before. I was young, and for one of the first times in my life I had been given a simple, beautiful verse that accurately describes the joy and pain of living.
It is with love that I share it with you all.
"I am in love with this world. I have climbed its mountains, roamed its forests, sailed its waters, crossed its deserts, felt the sting of its frosts, the oppression of its heats, the drench of its rains, the fury of its winds and always have beauty and joy waited upon my goings and comings." (John Burroughs)