“Happiness, not in another place but this place...not for another hour, but this hour.”

― Walt Whitman

I pause throughout the days to notice autumn in all her beauty. I have afternoon coffee and savor the last cherry tomatoes from our CSA box. I sit on the floor for hours and act out Redwall with Percy, his stuffed animals taking on the roles of the characters within the chapters of the book. I sit across from him as we eat our lunch, and swap ideas about what we might do after we are done. I head to the lake in the early morning, twice in one week, to take in the dogs playing, and the moody atmosphere on the lake. I think about happiness, joy, grief, and regret, understanding how each play a part in this life of mine. But, I also comprehend clearly how I don’t have to reach far for abundance. For the bounty of a rich life is right here in this place and within this hour.