My Neighborhood... a Tribute

I LOVE my neighborhood.  I LOVE my neighbors.  Even the ones I don't know very well, there's just a feeling here.  A feeling of belonging.  I love the kids playing in the yard.  I love the quietness of the cul-de-sac.  I love the mixing of cultures.  We've got people from Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, Africa, New Zealand, Tonga.  LOVE.  I LOVE our ward! Yes, LOVE!  I wish that everyone could have a ward as cool and friendly as ours.  I love that there are new people as well as people who have been their for 15 years and still consider themselves "new to the ward".  Love that!

I love my overgrown backyard that screams for help because it's my overgrown backyard that's screaming for help.  I love my home with the things that need to be fixed or updated here and there.  I love making it look more comfortable and more inviting.  I love feeling welcome in my own rooms... all of them.

There is so much to be thankful for right now.  The change in temperature seems to bring some excitement.  The air is colder and crisp in the morning.  All things pumpkin appear from the colors in department stores to items on the grocery store shelves.  The Holiday season is just around the corner.  The time when you can't help but be drawn to do something nice for everyone you see.  But especially the people who surround you, whether it is family, friends, or people you barely know, now is the time when the very air around you lends itself to kindness, warmth, and compassion.

Perhaps that is why Fall is my favorite season.  I love them all but it's Fall that makes me giddy inside.

May this day be wonderful for all!