Enjoy the ride

Originally uploaded by Mere unwound

Remember the feeling of being a child and going on a Ferris wheel? The initial scary feeling inside, when you go up, up, up, and then the exhilaration, the sheer joy, of getting to the top and seeing for miles and miles? Then the giddy feeling of going around and around, the breeze in your face and the world blending into a multicolored whirl? The way you laughed and laughed, and reveled in the motion and color?

Wouldn't it be nice to have that feeling today? Why not?

Urban Angel

Urban Angel
Originally uploaded by fullofheart

What if angels really did exist, and they were living in your neighborhood? They may be there, but you just don't see them, because you're expecting white robes and Breck hair and a gauzy light around them. Who's to say they don't have neon wings and tattoos? Who's to say they're not standing right next to you, waiting to be asked to do something special?

Look closely

gardenias silhouette
Originally uploaded by Ms Twinkle Toes

There is poetry everywhere. Beauty is blooming all around us. There are amazing, wonderful, miraculous things happening right under our noses. If you stop right now and take a look around you, and really focus, you'll see the most amazing sights. All you need is an attitude of appreciation, gratitude, and wonder. Once you have that, you'll see miracles everywhere.

The Moment

Lonely!
Originally uploaded by khalid almasoud

It's so important to stop Time every once in awhile and relish the Now. To take a moment and appreciate it for its beauty. Our lives pass in a whirl of activity, a restless striving to achieve our goals, and we don't stop to appreciate those jewel-like moments that each day is made up of. Be aware of the beauty that is all around you, every moment of the day. Don't let it all pass in a blur. Take time to step out of your daily dance, and revel in the stillness and the eternal beauty of the Now.

Be silly today

:)
Originally uploaded by *Spaghetti*

We need more silliness in this world. We need more people making goofy faces, standing on their heads, taking pratfalls, giggling in church, wearing funny hats, telling corny jokes, speaking with silly accents, eating hot fudge sundaes for breakfast, making balloon animals, putting on clown makeup, jumping in mud puddles, wearing a fake mustache, slipping on banana peels, and just generally being as silly as a two-year old child (and they're the experts on silliness).

Laughter and sunshine

Laughter and sunshine
Originally uploaded by ellecer

There is nothing more precious than a child's laughter. It is good for the soul. When my children grow up, I will have to become a teacher, or find other ways to hear the laughter of small children, because I cannot bear to live a day without hearing a child laugh.

The Memory of Paris

I've been to Paris three times, but the last time was almost 30 years ago. I'm sure it's changed in that time, but I'm also sure it hasn't changed too much. I want to go back, to experience again what it was like to be 25 and exploring the city for the first time. I remember children sailing toy boats in the pond at the Luxembourg Gardens, the Egyptian section in the Louvre (with majestic statues of the Pharaohs), the booksellers along the Seine, the soaring sweep of Notre Dame, the delicious pastries you could find in patisseries everywhere, the grizzled old men playing chess on the sidewalk, and the great delight of sitting in a cafe sipping a Belgian beer and watching the carnival of faces passing by.
Picture by Vladimir Fofanov