A collage of pictures taken recently in my Nana M’s garden. The rose bush brings her extra joy because my brother and I gave it to her 6 years ago for her 80th birthday. The star jasmine brings a wonderful scent to the front walk. The cone flower serves double duty – first as a beautiful flower, then as “nature’s bird feeder” as the birds eat the seeds from the cone. The butterfly bush was pruned by my brother, and then we collected the flowers so Nana could enjoy the scent and beauty for a little while longer, before it flowers again in the Spring.

Take some time today to find joy in your journey. Stop and smell the roses. Stop and enjoy the flowers, the joy, the children, the pets, the world around us, and life. As I heard recently, “May we fill our lives with those things that matter most.”

(and now I have to get back to working on the book!)