Mornings bring a bit of light and a lot of hope. The day lays out in front of me like a board game. Roll the dice and walk your steps.

The rules of the day may change but the wonder of finding the treasures it holds never does. There is always something that stops me, makes me reflect, makes me glad that I have seen it.

The dirt road that leads to our house holds many of those daily surprises. The sun just showing its beauty over the eastern hills, its real glory hidden in mist, stops me in my tracks. It is cold and wet and, oh, so spectacular.

There is the quiet, peacefulness of a misty blanket urging me to return to my warm bed but begging me to take a moment, a minute, to feel the earth beneath my feet.

And right around the corner, the land reveals the scars left by a sudden, heavy rain. There will be no trespassing here. If left alone, she will heal her wounds and the scars will soften into an even greater beauty.

The country allows me the luxury of stopping, of listening, of being.

There will be new surprises around old corners. There will be new days, new lives, new places.

Or so we have been promised