I love journals... a safe spot for important things, the one stop shop where I document statements that for whatever reason take my breath away, statements that welcome a pause or reflection... of course I can list a multitude of important things in my life: my health, my spirit, my spouse, my children... yet statements that take my breath away, they offer a sense of validation.... a nudge to raise my voice, speak out, become a gift... everyday I meet people who are facing a life threatening illness, everyday I am reminded to BE ENOUGH, this moment is the only guarantee, writing things down make them important and noteworthy, a post-it note for my heart... skimming the pages of my journal I find little bits of a smile..... "Hitch your wagon to a star"-Ralph Waldo Emerson..... "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song" -Maya Angelou..... "To understand the heart & mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to do" -Kahil Gibran..... my smile reminds me of this familiar ground, a commonplace we all share