Here and now
“I have lived large parts of my life in wonderful circumstances that I utterly failed to appreciate. Reasons to be happy were everywhere, but somehow I didn’t connect with them. It was as though I was eating but couldn’t taste the food. Finally, I’ve learned to celebrate the good while it’s happening.” ~Marianne Williamson
How often do we “utterly fail to appreciate” our advantages — food and shelter, for starters — not to mention having access to simple pleasures and a few luxuries? Speaking for myself, I forget to appreciate what I have when I’m rushing on my way to something else. Or sometimes I get so focused on things that have gone wrong that I overlook all the things that are right.
How often do you move through your days without fully appreciating what you’re tasting, feeling, or doing? Do you celebrate what makes you happy, or do you catch yourself dwelling on negativity? ~CL
Cindy La Ferle
Throughout my career, I've worked as a book production editor, travel magazine editor, features writer, and weekly newspaper columnist. My award-winning lifestyles features and essays have appeared in many national magazines and anthologies, including Newsweek, Reader's Digest, The Christian Science Monitor, Writer's Digest, Victoria, Better Homes & Gardens, Bella Grace, and more. My weekly Sunday "Life Lines" column ran for 14 years in The Daily Tribune (Royal Oak, MI) and won a First Place (Local Columns) award from the Michigan Press Association. My essay collection, Writing Home, includes 93 previously published columns and essays focusing on parenthood and family life.
