The school year is coming to a close and it’s time for talent shows and play days and graduations and vacations.  Although it’s a wild time, it reminds me of the beauty of childhood.  When anything is possible and squeezing the most fun out of each day is the way things roll.

Freezies and soccer balls.  Swimming and laughter.  Barbecues and fireworks.

I wish the joy seen in the children’s faces at this time of year could be bottled up and sold.  So that adults could remember what it was like to jump out of bed and race into the excitement of the day.

The thing is we actually have that secret potion if we are willing to use it.  It’s deep inside us and it’s called gratitude.  Being thankful that we have a body that can carry us to where we want to go, a brain that can dream all the dreams and people around us who love us and who we can love.

As we get older, we sometimes forget that we have all we need.  We plan special things to bring meaning to life.  But as Brene Brown once said, “I don’t have to chase extraordinary moments to find happiness – it’s right in front of me if I’m paying attention and practicing gratitude.”

So as we prepare for summer, let’s pay attention to all the beauty we have around us and be grateful for the extraordinary life we are leading every day.