Sometimes it would stop raining long enough for the stars to come out… and then it was nice. It was like just before the sun goes to bed down on the bayou. There was always a million sparkles on the water… like that mountain lake. It was so clear, Jenny, it looked like there were two skies one on top of the other. And then in the desert, when the sun comes up, I couldn’t tell where heaven stopped and the earth began. It’s so beautiful.  — Forrest Gump

Even at the worst of times, I’ve been able to look up and see how beautiful the world can be.  When I was in Russia, it was the height of their economic and social problems, but I will always remember how beautiful the forest north of Saint Petersburg was after it snowed.  I have very few good memories of my professional and personal life in Arizona, but in the Chiricahua’s I found a peaceful place to sit and read and listen.  The globe is scattered with such places, and at one time or another, they were what gave me hope.

Sometimes, you have to stop and look around for you to find the beauty, because it’s usually drowned out by the grayness and difficulty of life.  The longer you wait, the harder it will be to find, and the worse the world will look to you.  Step back, seek out that small bit of wonder in a world of chaos and pain, and you will find your way.  Lose it, and you risk being overwhelmed.