Happiness lies within all of us. Is your glass half full? Did life turn out the way you had expected? Has your adventure in living been passionate, fun and delightful?
I have been asking myself these questions most of my life only to make sure I am living up to the mantra of “quality of life”.
The other day I was talking to my mother about a friend who has been going through some tough times lately. She listened and after a few moments she said “you know your life is not easy and is full of challenges”. I laughed and thought about it. I never looked at my life situation as hard or unpleasant. I have spent years living in the world of possibilities and beauty.
My mothers statement made me think hard about what was really happening in my life. I let these thoughts roll around in my brain for a few days. I have always chosen to find the good in a situation, the beauty and the bright side. It has been said that my achilles' heel is being too optimistic. However I do not believe this can be so, I think it is a choice to live a vibrant and positive lifestyle.
I have always viewed things as they are. My personal philosophy is that everything in life is a lesson. I have always taken the opportunity to learn, grow and nourish my soul, my thoughts and my personal being.
I have had the luxury in the past several months to take the time to think honestly and contemplate my past, present and my future. It is a lot of hard work. I have been delighted, uncomfortable, happy, sad, regretful and even remorseful. I think life is best lived in the present with an eye towards the future. Think about this if we drove our cars only looking and obsessing about the rearview mirror it would be impossible not to crash the car. Life is like driving that imaginary car, a cautionary look once in a while is the best policy. Keeping your eye on the road not yet traveled is the key.
I encourage you to stop even if for only a moment. Take a breath. Take the time to contemplate the tender blessings in your life you have many more than you think. The most important thing to realize is your own ability to create a life that makes you happy. You see if you are happy everyone around you is suseptible to your mood and outlook that happiness brings. Living in possibilities, trust and the present is a gift we can only give to ourselves. There is no better time to start than now, your present becomes your past minute by minute. Make each moment count and tell those people you love that you love them. Make it a point to be kind to a stranger, understanding of your family, helpful to your co-workers. Try to be caring and sensitive to the world around you.
You do make a difference, we all do.
After all these years my glass is still half full and my life is filled with beauty.
I am blessed.
Our pumpkins and cider candles! 
We were doing inventory last month as some of you may remember. We found out that we have 3500 yards of ribbon in our store! Our ribbon is an inexpensive and beautiful way to liven up any gift - and we have quite the selection! You can see a few on our