September 11th

Just a moment of silence to appreciate waking up to a day where I feel safe, secure, warm and sheltered from the outside elements of the world.

Just a moment to take note of what is truly important. It isn't the "stuff". It is the peace of mind I have as I map out another relatively predictable day.

Just a moment to reflect on the relationships I have with family, friends, community and the world outside these doors. I am treated with kindness and do my best to pay it forward.

Just a minute to gaze at the walls that surround me and the roof that shelters me. I am home. I am safe. I am content.

Just a minute to count my blessings. They are many. Few, if any, are material belongings. The contentment I feel within life as I know it is priceless.

Just a moment to remember how fortunate I am to wake up each morning. Period. To wake up with the ability to breath easily, place my feet on the floor, live independently and the gift of knowing there is an excess of what I have to share with those I meet along the way.

A moment of silence to honor this moment. To remember how fortunate I am when the day goes relatively according to plan. To go to bed at night with the peace of mind that those who touch my world have also made it through another day and are preparing to do it all again tomorrow.

A day to appreciate the ability to dream of "tomorrow" is a gift bigger than life itself.

I remember the way I felt the day the world as we know it changed forever. September 11, 2001 was a day etched in my mind. I vowed to never take our peaceful existence for granted as I walked through a day where the sky was silent.