GRATITUDE

I like all of the shiny new goodies showing up at my house theses days, I really do.  I like to try them on, try them out, and stare at them on the floor of my bedroom.  Things are nice.  They can be rewards for our hard work, things that add comfort to our lives, but they can also become the very things that own us.  I need to keep reminding myself that all of these pieces of fabric, plastic, and rubber are merely manifestations of something so much deeper and so much more satisfying than their shiny newness would belie.  Behind each piece of gear is a person, a story, an act of generosity that I hope to remember long after the objects have outlived their usefulness.  So if the house burns down tonight, if all of my shiny new toys turn to ash, I'll still have kept the heart of what this whole trip is about; generosity, compassion, belief, and strength.

Thanks to the people who give meaning to all of these gifts. 

Bish Bash Falls 2011

"Not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."  Arundhati Roy