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Lately, I've been thinking about how aging changes what we notice.

One of the gifts of getting older, I am finding, is that I’m not taking things for granted as often as I used to. In the busyness of my younger years, running here, there, and everywhere all at once, I couldn’t have told you which side of our house the sun rises or sets on.

Now, seeing the sun rise over the tree line as I walk up and down our street in the early morning is a daily ritual that grounds me. I treasure the morning light, and I find it nothing short of miraculous that I've been given the gift of another day on this beautiful planet—and that the sun shows up yet again, and again—in a predictable pattern that creates a sense of safety in an otherwise fragile world.

As I walk, I make it a point to give thanks for something—my family, my breath,........

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