My mom has always been the type of person to notice the little things in life. She absolutely loves the outdoors and can always find things to appreciate in nature. From hiking in Yosemite to sitting in the backyard, you can always count on her to find something to admire wherever she is. She’ll often say things such as, “Look at how intricate that flower is, isn’t that incredible?” or “Isn’t it amazing how the spots on a butterfly can be so symmetrical?” To be honest, I used to laugh when she would say things like that, as I felt it was almost silly. Don’t get me wrong, I love the outdoors, but she seemed to have this deeper appreciation and connection with it that I just couldn’t understand. Through watching my mom’s appreciation for the world around her, I began to realize something: She appreciated the things I took for granted.

I began to think more about this and the way she viewed the world. We were never promised our five senses - our arms, legs, fingers, or toes, but here we are. We don’t all have everything, but we all have something: we are breathing. Our heart is beating, our brain is processing, our body is functioning. Although it may seem silly to marvel at the intricacy of nature, or even that my fingers are moving to type this story, it just goes to show there are blessings everywhere. They are reminders that no matter what we encounter in this world, there are always things to be grateful for. When you put your focus on the blessings rather than the burdens, your world becomes a little bit brighter.