Love, laugh, cry, I heard in my head. Maybe it's sarcasm or maybe it's a little wisdom leaking into my head because I heard these words next: serve, don't take yourself too seriously, and release. How I arrived at that second set of words took years.

On the other side of the path, yarrow blooms nodded in synchronized motion with the chirping crickets. I wonder if the other walkers think I’m daft? I'm surrounded by incredible beauty, yet I’m wobbling down the path buried in my phone, texting what's streaming out of my head.

Realizing I hadn’t captured the depth of my changes so readers could “feel” along with me, not just read, I’m editing my book one more time replacing descriptions of how I feel with sensations and action. It's called “showing” not “telling”. It feels peculiar because I’m reliving the book as I edit and spending more time in those singular moments of awareness that preceded all the changes I made.

 Could it be that life's turning points relate to the direction we need to fulfill our life's purpose? The middle school teacher bolstered my confidence when I needed it the most.

Who knew my favorite parts of the day as a young child like daydreaming, lying on the grass, snack time, recess, nap time, and learning things were all elements needed to grow a healthy brain. Do children today get to daydream or lie on the grass? What kind of downtime do adults enjoy today? Hint: it doesn’t involve a glass of wine or going out to dinner. When was the last time we let our imagination take over our brain?

The heart of presence is not an individual gift. It is shared by those who can sense that magical, mysterious energy and respond.

It struck me then that just like the ray of sunshine enhanced the photo of these two beautiful birds, that thought perked up my attitude.

Do you see two puzzle pieces or the whole picture? Explore this article about othering and belonging and how it relates to who we are.