Good Morning Digitial Neighbors! Happy Sunday ADD Irregulars, WSN Curators & Contributors, and Black Sheep of the flock! Hey, hey to all of our neighbors at Rubin Report and Phetasy; all you Friends & Refugees, Misfits & Pham, Conversants & Lurkers, Seekers, Wanderers & Lost of the inter-webs! A blessed Sunday to all of you. A little reflection on gratitude for a Sunday morning.

Few things change our life more than an attitude of gratitude. We don't need to sugarcoat the difficult, bad or outright evil, but even on the worst days it is possible to find a reason for gratitude. You can't always voice that to people in immense pain, suffering or trauma, compassion should compel us to supportive silence and a caring presence, but not a time for making pious platitudes or well intentioned atta-boys. It is far better that we cultivate an attitude of gratitude well before tragedy knocks on our door. It is good to cultivate a perspective that sees beyond emotional intensity when there is trauma and drama in life. Easy said than done. Anyways, here are some good words from Leah Browning and a photo of a good stone bridge, no ducks included. Happy Sunday my friends!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT MUNSINGER GARDENS
We sit on a blanket on the grass and listen to jazz
as bits of fluff fall from the cottonwood trees,
a hint of snow on this sunny summer day.

Six ducklings follow their mother out of the underbrush
and topple into the Mississippi River. The feathers
of the mallards nearby, all flamboyant greens and purples;
sunlight glittering on the deep blue of the water.

The mother duck squawks and flaps
her wings until the other ducks have scattered.
Then she swims serenely around the ducklings,
ignoring the rustle of wings around her
as if nothing at all has happened.
I feed the baby from a cup of vanilla ice cream
and he gives me a kiss that’s both sweet and pleasantly sticky.

The people behind us are talking over the music,
the grass is damp under our blanket.
I feel so happy that it’s almost painful.
Sunday afternoon, the river shining silver and blue in the sun,
ducklings tracing lazy circles in the water,
shade trees on either side,
and in the distance, almost too far away to see,
the bridge leading back toward home. - Leah Browning

Old Stone Bridge in Ireland - David Epperson