Poem: For Deep Appreciation

For the lemon.
For the lime.
For the sugar melting into tea.

For cream and chocolate
and the warmth of red wine
at the end of a long day.

For blankets.
For clean sheets.
For the sound of a dog softly snoring nearby.

For cats on towers
and tails switching in satisfaction.
For little porcelain treasures
and flowers painted onto old china.

For bridges over water.
For slushies and french fries.
For good dinners and full hearts.

For the sky.
For the sun.
For the breeze through the trees.
For clouds moving slowly enough
that we remember we are alive.

For plants.
For gardens.
For the smell of dirt and green things.
For the tiny miracle of a seed
becoming something beautiful.

For music.
For documentaries.
For stories that remind us
that humans are fragile
and trying their best.

For children.
For animals.
For laughter in the car.
For the feeling of being safe enough
to exhale.

For soft landings.
For second chances.
For all the ordinary things
that are not ordinary at all.

Life is not perfect.
But there is so much to love
if we stop long enough
to feel it.

So love it.

Love the sky.
Love the breeze.
Love the sweetness of fruit
and the warmth of tea
and the softness of your own bed.

Love the people and animals
who make your life gentler.
Love the flowers.
Love the music.
Love the little rituals
that make your life your own.

Let yourself notice.
Let yourself slow down.
Let yourself feel grateful.

Because life is hard.
But life is also beautiful.
And we deserve to love it while we are here.