The rest of the trees may be wearing winter drab, but one tree has decked herself in an extravagance of lace. Neither the barren trees nor the blooming one are wrong. Sometimes, even in the middle of the long slog of a hard time there is an explosion of joy.
When have you been surprised by joy or beauty?
What a lovely thing it is to rove through an extensive garden, choosing what will go in your salad, knowing that there is enough to share with friends. What you have to choose from, what you have to share, is a product of what you choose to grow.
What will you cultivate today?
“Grace under pressure isn’t just about bullfighters and men at war. It’s about getting up every day to face a job or a white boss you don’t like but have to face to feed your children so they’ll grow up to be a better generation.”
—Ernest Gaines
What kind of pressure in your life demands that you find your own kind of grace?
Attaining balance generally happens through a series of tiny shifts, not in a grand moment of enlightenment. After all, when you’re trying to balance, any very large movement could easily land you on the floor. But even the smallest actions—say, brushing your teeth—can be part of building a balanced life.
What small action helps you to find balance?
Birds of a feather stick together, but what about birds who are as entirely different as a tiny hummingbird and giant, plastic lawn flamingo? Couldn’t they stick together, even find joy in what their differences have to offer?
Who do you enjoy for the ways they are different from you?
