Crystal Cove is my happy place, and Michael is my happy person! On Thursday, he got home from work and asked if I wanted to go for a walk at the beach. Obviously, you know my answer! Who would turn down the opportunity to spend a couple of hours walking the beach? We jumped in the jeep and headed west a few miles to our favorite spot.

I’m so grateful for where I live and who I live with, but I fully realize that we don’t always get to choose the circumstances in our lives. I’ve lived enough life to know that we don’t have guarantees. We’re not guaranteed a job, a home, a spouse, a child, or a healthy life. I also know that sometimes life is short. This causes me to approach each day looking for an opportunity. An opportunity to capture a moment of joy or laughter or surprise. And sometimes, an opportunity to capture a moment of despair or hurt or sorrow that allows me to be compassionate to others.

But in all of the moments of opportunity, what I don’t want to capture is regret. I never want to regret that I didn’t spend every day looking for something to be grateful for or something to celebrate. Not rainbows and unicorns, just something good! 

I hope at the start of spring 2022 that you will look for an opportunity to create a moment of joy or an opportunity to help someone in need. I hope that emerging from the cold and dark of winter, there is a glimpse of a new beginning. And if you’re in the middle of the storm, I’m praying that you will find peace in this challenging season, knowing that you are not alone!