Flowers and animals make me happy. The pop of color on green leaves. Cows. Fruit on a tree. A perfect palm on the shore. A cat in the sun. Even a bare tree lightly dusted in snow. These things make me love life and remember how lucky I am to live mine. And as we enter our third month of winter here in Shenyang, I’m missing those little pops of color.
On a recent trip to Vietnam, where all things were in bloom around us, I smiled at the random flowers on the side of the road, each of the palms in view, chomping cows and sunning crocodiles. On every trip we make, and every day I step outside in familiar surroundings too, I search for beauty in trees, flowers, animals, nature. It makes me smile. So let me share a few smiles with you.